Upstream Thinking

 

The aim of the project is to improve raw water quality and manage the quantity of water, at source, long before it reaches water treatment works, by improved land management.

The initiative started in 2008 with the pilot mires restoration project on Exmoor, which restored 326 hectares of SSSI. Additionally, partners Westcountry Rivers Trust demonstrated the success of catchment sensitive farming in their pilot project in the Upper Tamar, where raw water quality was impacted due to blue green algae blooms resulting from high nutrient inputs.

The success of both these pilot partnership projects lead to Ofwat approving £9.1million investment between 2010 and 2015.

Here is an overview of the project:

Browse the Projects area of this site to find out more about the many different ways the Upstream Thinking partners are improving raw water sources, and at the same time, enhancing the natural environment for the long-term.