Rural Payments and Services

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Table of Contents

• Diffuse pollution risk assessment
• Field assessment
• Field map
• Management map
• Diffuse pollution steading assessment
• Diffuse pollution steading assessment map
• Opportunities for improvement
• Diffuse pollution steading management map
• Recent changes
• Previous versions
• Download guidance

The purpose of this is to carry out a basic assessment of the diffuse pollution risks that may be present on your holding.

This is required for all applications, except where you are only applying for
Organic Farming or Upland HIA for deer management.

This will help to identify the options or actions that may be appropriate to help deal with these risks and where they should be located to maximise their effectiveness.

When assessing diffuse pollution risks it is important to consider whether diffuse pollution is actually occurring or whether there is a real risk of pollution occurring. In order to asses this; it is useful to think along the lines of the Source - Pathway -Receptor approach, as follows:

• 1. Has a SOURCE of diffuse pollution been identified? Examples include dirty yard areas, eroded areas at gates etc.

• 2. Is there a clearly identified PATHWAY for transporting the potential pollutants from the source to a watercourse? Examples include an open drain/ gulley at a steading which drains to a watercourse or direct run-off from the source area such as a hardstanding and/or track to a watercourse.

• NOTE: lightly contaminated run-off which currently discharges onto grassed areas, with no direct run-off to a watercourse, is not generally considered to be a water pollution risk, even if there are underground field drains present.

• 3. Is there a RECEPTOR (receiving water). If no receptor has been identified then there is no real pollution risk. (NB. in some cases the receiving water may be outside the farm boundary, however if there is a connection (via drain or ditch etc) a pollution risk may still exist).

A water pollution risk only occurs if all 3 of the above can be identified.

Where SEPA has carried out a farm visit, have they identified a diffuse pollution problem or risk at the steading and/ or out in the fields? There should be a letter from SEPA with a map/ plan identifying the pollution issues found. This could be used as a basis to create your own diffuse pollution assessment for the whole farm.

To complete the field assessment it will be necessary to walk the fields with a view to identifying any diffuse pollution risks and to look for opportunities to reduce these risks.

Using a map of an appropriate scale record as a line, point or shape as appropriate any diffuse pollution risks identified.

Depending on the size and nature of your land and the risks identified, you may either identify the risks on the Farm Environment Assessment map or prepare a separate Diffuse Pollution Field Map, as shown in the example below.

Each of these points must be individually numbered on the map and noted in a corresponding table which will describe the diffuse pollution risk found and what action can be taken to deal with it.

The location of all surface waters such as burns, ditches, ponds and wetlands etc should also be recorded.

Diffuse pollution risk factors will vary depending on the type of farm (arable or livestock) and on local factors such as, proximity to watercourses, slope of land and soil types, access of livestock to watercourses, location of gateways and tracks etc.

Guidance on factors to consider when carrying out a field diffuse pollution risk assessment can be found in the accompanying guidance for the options such as ‘Alternative Watering’ and the options for the ‘Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems’.

When the initial assessment is complete the next step is to decide what action and/or options might be appropriate to help reduce diffuse pollution risks.

On a map and using a similar approach to the risk assessment mark the various actions that are planned to deal with the identified diffuse pollution risks.

Number each of the actions on the map to show their location. On a corresponding table, describe the actions to be taken or the options to be applied for – see example map and table below.

As for the field map, you may not need to have to have a separate diffuse pollution management map if the actions can be clearly shown in the Farm Environment Management Map.

You can either complete the table below or incorporate the information within the map key.

You must complete this if you are applying for any of the following options:

• Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Wetland
• Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Sediment Traps and Bunds
• Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Swales
• Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Pond
• Hard Standings for Troughs and Gateways
• Livestock Crossing
• Livestock Tracks
• Managing Steading Drainage and Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems
• Pesticide Handling Facilities
• Water-use Efficiency – Irrigation Lagoon

You will need to produce a:

• Diffuse Pollution Steading Assessment Map
• Diffuse Pollution Steading Management Map

Many of the diffuse pollution risks on a steading are associated with surface run-off and drainage. Good management of drainage at the steading can help to significantly reduce these risks.

When assessing diffuse pollution risks from the steading consider the points below:

Using an appropriately scaled map of the steading, identify areas which produce:

• clean roof run-off and lightly contaminated yard run-off that currently discharges to a watercourse or clean water drain
• run-off that discharges to grassland
• midden run-off and run-off from open silos and indicate where the drainage goes
• dirty yards and run-off from silos and other drainage that discharges to the slurry or effluent store

Further information on identifying drainage types can be found within the guidance for the option – Managing Steading Drainage and Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems.

The map will help to identify areas of the farm where steps could be taken to help reduce the volumes of dirty water produced and reduce pollution risks.

Below is an example of how your map may look.

Produce a list of any diffuse pollution risks identified and what improvement could be made to reduce diffuse pollution risks, see example table below:

On another map of the steading identify what works are proposed to take place to help improve the management of steading drainage and the location of any rural sustainable drainage systems.

Diffuse pollution steading management – example table

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