Welsh Water has launched a free and confidential pesticide disposal scheme to help protect Wales' quality of drinking water.
The aim of the first-come-first-served scheme, called PestSmart, is to safeguard drinking water quality before it needs treatment.
The not-for-profit water and sewage company has opened up a registration window so that farmers, growers and land managers across Wales can dispose of any unwanted pesticides and herbicides.
PestSmart is encouraging people across Wales to consider “smarter” ways of weed, pest and disease control that don’t have a harmful impact on people, water or wildlife.
Welsh Water’s managing director of water services, Ian Christie said the company, also known as Dwr Cymru, had been detecting increasing traces of pesticides in areas where they hadn’t been seen before during its routine raw water monitoring programme.
While the trace levels are too low to pose a risk to those drinking the water, he said they are enough to risk breaching “rigorous drinking water standards”.
He said that subsequently Welsh Water wants to work with farmers, growers and land managers to take action to address the issue.
He said: “Even the most organised of land managers can find themselves with an out of date or now unlicensed product which can be difficult or expensive to dispose of correctly.
“To help them, we are launching a free ‘no questions asked’ disposal scheme to safely take away any unwanted pesticides and herbicides.
“We know that pesticides form an essential and everyday role in the agricultural community. However, if stored, used or disposed of incorrectly, they can have a devastating impact on people, water and wildlife.
“By providing this free and confidential scheme across Wales, we want to work with land managers to reduce the risk of pollution and safeguard raw water quality before it reaches our water treatment works.”
The scheme, which is for a limited time, is available across Wales, including out of Welsh Water’s operating area, and is completely confidential.
The deadline to register for the scheme is by 5pm on Monday, September 30.
Welsh Government minister for environment and rural affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said: “This is a great initiative by Dwr Cymru and I encourage all farmers, growers and land managers to register for the free pesticide disposal scheme.
“Minimising the impact of pesticides on the environment is an essential part of responding to the ecological crisis, protecting Wales’ watercourses for future generations.“
Click here to register through the Welsh Water website or call 01443 452716.
PestSmart has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 which is funded by the European Agricultural fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.