Getting ahead now can help protect your land, your business and the waterways your community depends on.
Slurry is a valuable farm resource when managed well. Managed poorly, it becomes a pollution risk, impacting rivers, soils and communities downstream.
At the Environment Agency, we're encouraging farmers to review slurry storage capacity before the rain starts. With continuing pressure on fuel and fertiliser costs, sufficient storage not only supports compliance but also helps retain valuable nutrients until crops and grass can make best use of them.
A key reason for having adequate storage is to avoid spreading slurry when conditions are unsuitable. Slurry should only be applied where there is a crop and soil need, and where there is no significant risk of pollution. Spreading slurry because stores are full, rather than because there is a crop or soil need, is not compliant with the Farming Rules for Water.
Winter applications on waterlogged, flooded, snow-covered or frozen ground, or before heavy rainfall, carry a high risk of runoff into ditches, streams and rivers, wasting nutrients and harming water quality.
Know your storage requirements
The Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil Regulations require farms to have at least four months' slurry storage capacity, with higher requirements in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. However, the Environment Agency recommends aiming for at least six months' capacity to provide greater flexibility and support compliance with the Farming Rules for Water.
Three actions to take now
1. Maintain yards and drainage
Repair leaking gutters, damaged pipework and drainage issues that allow clean rainwater into slurry stores, reducing available capacity.
2. Check your storage capacity
Use tools such as AHDB's Slurry Wizard to calculate your storage needs. If the results show insufficient capacity, start planning now to increase it.
3. Develop contingency plans
Consider options such as temporary or off-farm storage, access to anaerobic digestion facilities, and emergency arrangements should infrastructure fail. If your storage is at risk of overtopping, contact the Environment Agency as early as possible to discuss available options.
Preparing for winter is about more than avoiding problems. Storing slurry until conditions are right maximises nutrients, protects soils and reduces costs. Good winter planning today can deliver environmental and business benefits all year round.