Farmers in Norfolk are being offered the opportunity to get rid of redundant or unapproved pesticides for free. 

Anglian Water is sponsoring an amnesty to give farmers and landowners the opportunity to safely dispose of old, unwanted pesticides.

The scheme, will be launched in the county from 1 December for farms in the Blackwater (Reepham) sub-catchment of the River Wensum and will run until the end of January 2017.

See also: Pesticide amnesty could be extended

The River Wensum supplies a large amount of the drinking water to Norwich and the surrounding area after treatment at the Heigham Water Treatment Works.

Many farmers have out of date or unwanted pesticides in storage, which are difficult or expensive to dispose of.

There is always a risk of unintended water contamination from certain types of stored pesticides.

Rob Holland, Anglian Water’s catchment adviser for Norfolk, said: “Pesticides are a vital part of the modern farm business and we know that farmers in Norfolk do all they can to use and store them responsibly.

“However, there are often pesticides left over at the end of the season and sometimes these can go out of date.

“There are also chemicals which were bought legitimately but which have now been withdrawn from the market.

“These unwanted chemicals could pose a risk to water quality if they are not disposed of properly.”

Check eligibility

Farmers can check if they are in the target area by calling Rob Holland, Anglian Water’s catchment adviser for Norfolk on 07802 856 872.

There is no charge for the service and collection will be anonymous.

To book a collection call David Brown, ChemClear on 07436 077 304 or email info@chemclearltd.co.uk.

Details of collections will remain confidential between the applicant and ChemClear.

For more information on Anglian Water’s work with farmers visit Anglian Water’s website.