Rivers: Pollution Control
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the scaling up of innovative, low-cost technologies, including fungal filtration, to reduce pollutants such as E. coli, phosphorus and nitrogen in rivers and agricultural runoff.
Answered by Emma Hardy
Funding for Environmental Land Management Schemes will increase by 150% from £800 million in 23/24 to £2 billion by 28/29 and we are working actively to target this to help address water pollution, protect nature, and support thriving biodiversity across our landscapes. Innovation and systems change - for example, providing £63 million worth of grants in 2025 -2026 to spark innovation and develop solutions through the Farming Innovation Programme.
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) is designed to address the specific needs of each farm, offering local expert advice, training, and grant support that benefit water quality, such as fencing to prevent livestock from entering watercourses, and improving drainage systems to manage runoff more effectively.
Defra will soon launch a free-to-use, nutrient management planning tool for Great Britain (NMPT-GB) for farmers and advisers over this winter. The tool will help them to plan and manage nutrient use on their land.
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