PestSmart Communications Campaign

Description

Dŵr Cymru Cyfyngedig (DCC) trading as Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) is the regulated company that provides water and sewerage services to over 3 million people living and working in Wales as well as some adjoining parts of England. DCC is owned by Glas Cymru, a “not for profit” holding company. DCC serves 1.4 million households and businesses. DCC raises income of over £450m annually from water supply, sewerage and trade effluent services. DCC operates 66 impounding reservoirs, 63 water treatment works and supplies an average 828 million litres of water every day through a network of 26,500km of water mains. DCC also collects wastewater (and surface drainage) through a network of more than 30,000km of sewers, incorporating 1,912 sewage-pumping stations and 3,200 combined sewer overflows. It is treated at 838 wastewater treatment works located next to rivers and along the cost of Wales. DCC’s primary responsibility is to operate, maintain and upgrade this large network of assets to ensure a safe and reliable drinking water supply and to deal effectively with wastewater so as to protect the environment. PestSmart is a DCC initiative to promote the safe use, storage, and disposal of pesticides. The initiative encourages people to consider a more sustainable approach to weed, pest, and disease control that does not impact on people, water, or wildlife. To expand PestSmart across Wales DCC has successfully secured funding from Welsh Government. Funding is 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. DCC has identified increasing traces of pesticides in waters in areas we have never detected them before. While these levels are too low to pose a risk to those drinking the water, they are enough to risk breaching rigorous drinking water standards. Through PestSmart we’ve worked with professional pesticide users like farmers, growers, land owners and gardeners to improve how they manage their land and help safeguard raw water quality. This helps keep bills low, avoids unnecessary chemicals being used to treat water, and protects the environment for future generations. Alongside professional pesticide use, another contributing factor is the cumulative effect of lots of domestic users incorrectly storing, using and disposing of pesticides/garden chemicals. We are now looking to expand our work with a campaign focus towards this audience.