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NFU Calls On Govt To Take Water Issues Seriously

Vice-president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Stuart Roberts has called on the government to start taking water-related issues more seriously, speaking at a trade event looking at flood defence, prevention, mitigation and drainage.

 

During a keynote presentation at Floodex/Irrigex in Peterborough recently, Mr Roberts explained how the farming industry has been affected by volatile weather events, saying that it isn’t just the lack of water that we saw during the agricultural drought of 2018 but also the flooding of land, which results in a loss of crops and animals.

 

“Farmers can be part of the solution and through internal drainage boards (IDBs), created to manage intricate draining systems, help land flourish for agriculture, the environment and the communities that live there.

 

“The importance of these IDBs cannot be underestimated and the expertise and knowledge provided by farmers must be recognised. There must also be adequate funding to ensure that the great work farmers and IDBs are doing to protect people, property and livelihoods is not lost,” Mr Roberts went on to say.

 

In closing, the expert noted that farmers are now faced with the daily challenge of producing affordable food that is both safe and traceable, and the lessons that have been learned show what policies need to be introduced in order to ensure a clean water supply, so that the future of the environment can be safeguarded and food security ensured for the UK as a whole.

 

Paul Hammett, water specialist with the NFU, also recently explained that farmers using water for irrigation in parts of the country could find themselves hit with water restrictions this summer because of a lack of significant rainfall and unseasonably warm weather.

 

Whatever industry you’re in, whether it’s the farming sector or otherwise, prioritising commercial water saving can do an awful lot of good for the environment, protecting this precious resource for future generations.

 

There are numerous ways in which you can do this as a business. Here at H2O Building Services, we have three main approaches to help you reduce water use… water leak detection and repair (with a full site survey designed to find leaks), water auditing and water monitoring (where remote monitoring equipment will track water flow for ten years so efficiency can be maximised).

 

By following steps such as these, we can often achieve savings of more than 30 per cent on water bills for our customers. A water audit is typically the first step we take, where water use is compared against what you’re being charged for. This means we’ll be able to make recommendations for where you can reduce water usage and thus lower costs.

 

As well as being able to reduce your charges for supply and disposal of water and wastewater, we often find grounds for our clients to claim refunds for overcharging. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with us today.

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