South West Water and Devon Wildlife Trust organise trip to Dotton treatment works as part of water quality project.

East Devon farmers and landowners were invited to look behind the scenes at an award winning programme to protect local water quality.

South West Water showed a group of 10 land managers around Dotton water treatment works in Newton Poppleford last week as part of its upstream thinking initiative.

During the trip, visitors were shown how water is drawn from underlying sandstone aquifers through a series of boreholes and treated prior to human consumption.

Gordon Sage of Pinn Barton Farm, Pinn said: “I have lived locally all my life and it was very interesting to come and visit and to see where our water comes from. I never realised how complicated it all was.”

Duncan Thorne, South West Water’s principal scientist said he was pleased to share how the impact of agriculture can play in their work.

Mr Thorne said: “We’re always pleased to have the opportunity to discuss with the local community the opportunities and challenges that exist.”

Devon Wildlife Trust’s David Rolls, is part of a local team delivering Upstream Thinking and helped to coordinate the visit.

Mr Rolls said: “The visit was just one of the opportunities on offer through the Upstream Thinking. The project also offers advisory farm visits, soil tests, manure sampling, free aerator loans, production of integrated farm management plans and assistance with applications for both Agri-environment funding and our own project grant fund.”