A-maize-ing results from catchment management

Maize is a member of the sweetcorn family and is often grown by dairy farmers to feed their cows. When grown near our rivers and reservoirs it can impact the raw water in our catchment areas. This is because the crop needs a lot of space between the rows of plants which leaves bare soil. It is also usually harvested in late September which means it's too late for farmers to plant something else in that field and so the fields are left bare over winter, leading to a much higher risk of soil running off into our rivers and reservoirs during heavy rain.

The soil in the water causes cloudiness, also known as turbidity, which can affect the raw water coming into our water treatment works and also impact the environment.

Catchment management at work

To help tackle this, our Catchment Team works with farmers and landowners to find ways to do things differently to benefit both their business and our raw water quality. When it comes to maize, this includes things like growing grass in between the rows of maize crop so that there is less bare soil and sowing grass straight after the crop is harvested.

Inter-row grass has been proven to be one of the most impactful measures across our catchment schemes for improving water quality. Our analysis, undertaken by AtkinsRealis, shows that the changes made to maize management by the farmers has resulted in the prevention of 100 metric tonnes of soil entering rivers between 2020 and 2024. This is a true testament to the impact catchment management measures can have on farms, the environment and water quality.

Working together to find solutions

Given the success of these trials, we will continue our work with maize growers, supporting them to make management changes which will help their business as well as the environment. This includes 1:1 visits where we visit farms to understand their business and how we can work in partnership to make management changes.

Partnership working within our catchments is key to our success. Our work with maize growers is just one way in which our Catchment Team plays a vital role in protecting raw water quality and the environment.