Welsh Water awarded £1m to expand PestSmart project

Welsh Water has been awarded £1 million to promote the safe use of pesticides

Welsh Water has been awarded £1 million to expand its PestSmart project which promotes the safe use of pesticides.

PestSmart is an initiative which encourages farmers and the wider industry to consider a "smarter" approach to weed, pest and disease control that does not impact on nearby water sources.

Until now, the water company’s work on pesticides has focused on targeted trial areas, but additional funding from the Welsh Government means the project will now be delivered across Wales.

Since starting in 2014, the initiative has been working in partnership with farmers and communities in drinking water catchments to deliver trials to promote the storage and disposal of pesticides.

Welsh Government’s Environment Minister, Hannah Blythyn, said: “Water is one of our most valuable natural assets and it’s vital we work to prevent harmful substances entering our water courses.

“We need to be innovative in how we protect our natural resources, so I’m pleased PestSmart will be upscaled to help reduce the harmful effects of pesticides.”

There are four areas of focus for Welsh Water’s PestSmart project; the promotion of responsible storage, use and disposal throughout supply chain, research into behaviours and policy landscape, new practices and ‘smarter’ technologies and a public awareness campaign.