Pesticides reaching water can affect both aquatic life and drinking water quality. Large areas of farmed land in England are drinking water sources and tiny quantities of pesticides accidentally reaching water can have a huge impact on water quality, requiring significant expenditure from water companies to clean water to meet legal drinking water standards.
Pesticide losses come from both arable and grassland farms, with the farmyard being thought to account for 40% of losses (or more in grassland areas).
By following best practice guidance in the farmyard you can reduce the risk of water pollution and the waste of crop protection product.
There are several things you can do when organising filling and cleaning to prevent point source pollution:
Pesticide specific advice is available in Water Protection Advice Sheets.
© NFU 2018