Severn Trent Water is reopening its environmental scheme for farmers in the Midlands, offering them another opportunity to apply for a grant to help them to protect local watercourses from pollution.

The STW catchment team is launching two new farmer support schemes as part of the water company's  £21million AMP6 catchment management plan.

The ‘Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme’ (STEPS), which is solely funded by the water company, supports farmers in making improvements to their farm management and infrastructure, reducing the risk of pollution from their land into local water courses.

STW Tommy O’Hanlon, catchment scientist, commented:

"The more work we can do with farmers to reduce pollution from their land, the more we’ll protect local water courses, such as rivers, and the environment. In turn it'll also help reduce how much we have to treat the water we take from these water courses.”

The photograph shows a sediment pond installed with financial assistance from a STEPS grant.  It helps trap sediment and contaminants which could potentially run-off from fields and impact water quality.

In the previous two funding rounds, 284 farmers were awarded STEPS grants.  Funding is available for a range of farm and field improvement works including pesticide handling areas, watercourse fencing, cover crops and much more.  Farmers also have the opportunity to propose their own ideas in a unique ‘Farmer Innovation’ option."

The STEPS grant scheme offers grants of up to a maximum of £5000 per year per farm.  Farms must be located with a Severn Trent priority water catchment area.

The window for grant applications for 2017/18 opens on the 1st January and closes on 17th March 2017.

The water company also operates metaldehyde schemes providing farmers with support to help manage levels of metaldehyde in drinking water. Metaldehyde is the active ingredient found in most slug pellets and is difficult to remove from drinking water.

Click here for more information on STEPS funding