Water abstraction and impoundment

Dredging

Bank management

Works in or near water

Poaching and bank erosion

Steading drainage

  • Runoff from around the steading must not cause pollution. Collect and store drainage contaminated with manure or slurry
  • Lightly contaminated drainage can be treated with constructed farm wetlands or other sustainable drainage systems.

Northern Ireland: Good agricultural practice -air, soil and water

Farming and Water Scotland: Steading drainage

Constructed farm wetlands: design manual for Scotland and Northern Ireland

CIRIA: the SuDS manual

Septic tanks, biodiscs for sewage treatment

  • Check if your building has a septic tank or other treatment system
  • Is it in proper working order, e.g.are there odours, or does the wastewater drain very slowly?
  • Make sure you know what can and can’t go into the tank
  • Is it emptied regularly?

NetRegs: Septic Tanks

NetRegs: Septic tanks e-learning course. 

The use of buffer strips

  • Buffer strips prevent the loss of soil to ditches, burns , rivers etc. and help prevent pollution from fertiliser and pesticide runoff.

Northern Ireland: Cross compliance and verifiable standards

Farming and Water Scotland: Diffuse pollution

Spreading fertilisers

  • Make sure when you apply fertilisers that the nutrients will remain on your farm where needed.
  • Be aware of weather conditions, soil conditions and know the rules for spreading near water.
  • Maintain your spreading equipment and make sure it is properly calibrated.

DAERA: Nitrogen fertiliser options

DEARA: Use of organic fertilisers and soil improvers

Farming and Water Scotland: Slurry and manure

Farming and Water Scotland: Inorganic fertilisers

Pesticides and water

  • Pesticide users must have a certificate of competence, or work under the supervision of someone who has.
  • The storage and handling of pesticides must be done in a way that prevents the risk of pollution.
  • Know the rules for spraying pesticides near water, and take care washing down equipment.

DAERA: guidance on the use of pesticides

Farming and Water Scotland: Using pesticides

Farming and Water Scotland: Purchase and storage of pesticides

Soil and cultivation

  • Soils are an essential resource: check that you are not damaging soil eg by compaction and that soils are not being washed off your land.

DAERA: Soil structure and avoiding compaction

DAERA: Valuable soils need protection

Farming and Water Scotland: Soil and cultivation

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