South West Water is celebrating 15 years of its flagship catchment management programme which has worked with over 2,000 farms across 144,120 hectares of land to reduce river pollution.
The project’s focus is on applying natural solutions to farmland and water sources to reduce the negative impact of farmland run off on biodiversity and water quality.
The multi-award winning project is delivered by environmental partners working to manage water quality while promoting resilient and thriving ecosystems for future generations.
When runoff from farms - including manure, artificial fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides - reaches water sources, the treatment required to meet drinking water standards becomes more intensive and expensive.
Upstream Thinking funds and supports farm advisors to work with farmers and landowners next to rivers and reservoirs to manage their land in a way that’s good for water quality.
First introduced by South West Water in 2010, Upstream Thinking utilises a variety of long-term solutions including soil testing, nutrient management, introduction of manure sheds, improving farm tracks, increasing slurry storage, and building ponds.
The scheme has overseen the planting of over 390,000 trees which play a vital role in enhancing water quality by acting as natural filters, reducing pesticide run-off into watercourses, preventing soil erosion, and slowing water flow.
The next phase of Upstream Thinking for 2025-30 now extends across the South West Water and Bournemouth areas and, for the first time, includes Bristol Water.
The delivery partners are Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West, Catchment Sensitive Farming, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust, South West Peatland Partnership, Wessex Rivers Trust and West Country Rivers Trust.
Susan Davy, CEO of Pennon Group, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what the Upstream Thinking programme has achieved over the past fifteen years. It shows what’s possible when we look beyond simply treating water, and focus instead on protecting and improving it at its source. When our raw water is cleaner, with less sediment, nutrients and pollutants means healthier rivers, thriving biodiversity and fewer environmental impacts.
"What makes this programme so special is the way it brings people together. Across more than 80% of our catchments, we’ve worked alongside brilliant partners - farmers, conservationists, scientists, universities and land managers, all with a shared goal of restoring nature and improving water quality.
"From simple, effective local measures like fencing to stop cattle entering rivers, to the large-scale restoration of thousands of hectares of moorland that helps prevent flooding and naturally purifies water, the results speak for themselves. It’s a pioneering blueprint for how water companies can work in true partnership with others and make a real, lasting difference for our environment.”
David Smith, Natural Resources Manager at South West Water, said: “We are so pleased to celebrate the hard work our partners have put in to make Upstream Thinking a success as we launch another five years of the programme this autumn.
“To put it into context, the 144,120 hectares of land we have already worked on is roughly the same size as London, so it’s a huge achievement.
“We also want to thank all the farmers and land managers who we have worked with to improve the water quality and wildlife but preventing pollution in the rivers of the South West.”
Annabel Martin, Land Management Officer at Westcountry Rivers Trust, said: “Upstream Thinking has enabled us to effect significant positive change in the agricultural landscape, and we're delighted to continue our involvement in this innovative project.
“Westcountry Rivers Trust has had the privilege of working alongside South West Water to deliver Upstream Thinking since the very start, and we’re proud to see the programme's development and evolution.”
Background info:
From 2015-2025, Upstream Thinking delivered management activities including soil testing, nutrient management, and farm advice on over 144,120 hectares of land.
The project is delivered for South West Water by independent NGOs and other catchment partners.
The project’s outcomes are independently monitored and reviewed by researchers at the Centre for Resilience, Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW), at the University of Exeter.