10/06/2022
SEPA INFORMATION
The 1st of June marks the official start of bathing water season. We are encouraging farmers and agricultural contractors across Scotland to follow these simple practical steps throughout the bathing water season (1st June to 15th September) to reduce their impact on water quality. The faecal bacteria found in cattle slurry has the potential to impact water quality so to help protect Scotland’s bathing waters we are asking everyone to adhere to the following good practice:
Slurry spreading
• Please ensure no slurry is spread within 10 m of any river, burn or open ditch
• Check for broken field drains and avoid spreading over these areas
• Consider increasing the 10-metre buffer from watercourses if slurry is being applied to steeply sloping land
• Before applying, please check the weather forecast for predicted heavy rain within 48hrs of proposed spreading. If heavy rain is forecast, please delay slurry spreading by a day or two to reduce the potential for field run off and water pollution.
Maintaining water course boundaries
• Check livestock fences and boundaries along ditches, burns and rivers in grazing fields to ensure they are fully maintained.
• Repair any openings stock could access. This minimises the potential of livestock poaching within 5m of the ditch, burn or river and reduces the risk of polluting run-off getting to the water.
Steading drainage
• Check contaminated drainage (slurry) can’t access surface water drains around the steading.
• Key areas to check are drainage/seepage from bedded sheds, cattle walkways, handling areas or yards used periodically during the summer months.
• Ensure clean roof and yard water are kept separate from dirty yards.
SEPA staff are available to engage face-to-face with farmers and contractors to offer advice or guidance especially around compliance issues. We are looking for practical, low-cost measures which can easily be implemented quickly to resolve potential and sometimes on-going pollution. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact [email protected] for more information.
