Water Net Gain

Water Net Gain

Amount awarded: £999,800

Led by: South West Water

Partners: Westcountry Rivers Trust, Rivers Trust, South West Water, Duchy College, Environment Agency, Saputo Dairy UK, United Utilities, Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, Portsmouth Water (Advisory Panel only), South East Water (Advisory Panel only), Southern Water (Advisory Panel only)

Water Net Gain is a catchment-scale approach whereby farmers are paid to store water on their land. Restoring natural sponges, like healthy soils, woodlands and wetlands, can passively contribute water to summer base flows, but the creation of additional smart ponds and lakes, can be used for farm demand management or active releasing flows during droughts. The impact of this distributive ecologically connected water bank, released to the river during droughts, dilutes residual pollution not managed through current agricultural water quality incentivisation schemes. Alongside water purification, water retention solutions are designed to provide additional flood protection and aquatic biodiversity benefits.

Water Net Gain is a research and development project initially focused in the Tamar, Otter and Fowey catchments.

“Water Net Gain comes at a pivotal point for South West Water as climate change forecasts predict even more challenges for managing water. By making the most of the rain we receive we can ensure enough water for both our communities and for the habitats and wildlife in our rivers.” – Carolyn Cadman, Director of Natural Resources, South West Water

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Update from the project (January 2025)

WNG has developed a trading mechanism which details the marketplace for the operational WNG scheme where water is stored in smart ponds and farmers can sell this water to buyers such as water companies. Legal and tax implications as well as permissions associated with pond construction and water use were explored. The outcomes of this work will guide the drafting of a water trading contract in 2025. Smart pond design work included pond design, construction, deployment methods as well as smart monitoring technology and maintenance. In 2025, we will focus on delivering a Willingness to Accept study to farmers, preparing a cost assessment for WNG, as well as preparing to create our demonstrator pond site.  

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Resources

For more information on Water Net Gain, take a look at the following resources:

• Visit the project website here
• If you’re a land manager interested in finding out more about water storage solutions on your land, complete the form on the Water Net Gain website.