StockbridgeOnline

Horticulture Week
29 May 2009

Growers’ water abstraction licences granted before the Water Act 2003 could be time-limited in future if new Defra proposals go ahead.

New licences are issued with a time limit. Defra has attempted to encourage holders of unlimited historic licences to convert voluntarily, without success. Now it hopes to make time-limiting mandatory.

In a consultation about the proposals, Defra said the “do nothing” option is not viable. “It would hamper our ability to meet the requirements of relevant EU directives and respond to pressures such as climate change and population increase,” it said.

The consultation puts forward two other options: targeting certain licences for change, or changing all historic licences.

Licences likely to be targeted are those in catchments that are already over-abstracted or over-licensed or at high risk of reduced water availability in the future.

Licences for particular uses could also be targeted. But Defra admits targeting could be difficult to apply and its preferred option is to introduce universal mandatory time limiting, which would need new legislation.

It commented that this approach would also promote more water trading.

Keith Weatherhead, senior lecturer in water resources and irrigation at Cranfield University, said time-limited licensing had been mooted by the Environment Agency, which is responsible for managing water resources, for some time.

“The agency has got a problem - water resources are going to reduce if climate change forecasts are correct. There is an inequity issue between all the water users.”

He said growers would have to increase water efficiency and look for alternative water resources, particularly water storage.

The NFU is currently preparing a briefing paper for its members. The consultation closes on 4 August.

DNA technology to check water
Horticulture Week
29 May 2009

Plant experts have harnessed DNA fingerprinting to check the quality of water following the EU’s Water Framework Directive.

The technology replaces traditional use of microscopes with scores of samples that can be analysed simultaneously.

The breakthrough was made by EnPrint, a new “spin-out company” from the Scottish Crop Research Institute, based in Dundee.

“Low standards of water quality may threaten the aquatic environment, drinking-water quality and recreational water use,” said a representative. EnPrint chief executive Dr Rayne Longhurst added that medicine and forensics benefit from DNA fingerprinting technology and “we are perfectly placed to introduce a similar approach in the environmental sector”.