Water quality benefitting from Agrisgôp-facilitated initiative with farmers/Ffermwyr yn diogelu ansawdd dŵr gyda chymorth rhaglen Agrisgôp

The quality of water sourced from an important drinking water borehole is being protected thanks to small-scale changes to farming practices resulting from a Farming Connect-facilitated collaboration between farmers and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

Welsh Water extracts water from the Morfa Bychan borehole near Pendine which supplies 8,000 people in the Carmarthenshire area.  By working in partnership with farmers in the land surrounding Morfa Bychan, Welsh Water can better safeguard water quality before it reaches the treatment works in Pendine. This helps them keep bills low, safeguard the environment and protect our drinking water sources for generations to come.

Some of the land that drains into the borehole is farmed and has multiple sinkholes, natural features which can cause activities taking place above ground to impact on groundwater.

In 2017, Welsh Water approached Menter a Busnes, which delivers the Farming Connect Knowledge Transfer, Innovation and Advisory Service, for help in working with farmers to find win/win solutions to improving water quality issues and an Agrisgôp group was formed.

Agrisgôp is a fully-funded action learning programme that brings together forward-thinking, like-minded individuals from farm and forestry businesses at a local level.

Agrisgôp leader Lilwen Joynson established the Pendine group which includes seven dairy farmers and a beef producer from an area of land which drains into the drinking water borehole.

A series of on farm meetings, a visit to the local water treatment works and discussions facilitated by Ms Joynson led to identifying a number of solutions that would benefit both the farmers and the water environment.

“The farmers were very clear about the problem and what they could do collectively to manage and measure it’’ she said.

For Roy Bevan, who milks 500 cows at East Pool Farm, it means he now only spreads slurry and muck on his land outside the water catchment. In periods of heavy rain, he manages his land to ensure that any potential run-off is diverted away from a stream that feeds the borehole.

Mr Bevan said the approach facilitated by Agrisgôp is one he would recommend to other farmers. “Collectively discussing the issues with Welsh Water with an independent facilitator has been a very positive experience, Lilwen did an excellent job,’’ he said.

Another member of the group, dairy farmer David Tremellen, of Tremoilet Farm, said the exercise had focused his mind on how land management practices could impact on water quality and is now more aware of the issue. “A visit to the water treatment works made us aware of how big and expensive a problem it can be for the plant to process poor quality raw water. That is something we would not have been aware of before getting involved in this initiative.’’

Mr Tremellen, who milks 470 cows on an all-year around calving system, acknowledged that farmers can at times be fearful when issues relating to water quality are raised but that the Agrisgôp approach had alleviated concerns.

“We would not have met with Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales with the same mindset if it had not been for Agrisgôp,’’ he said.

The initiative had been a good example of self-regulation by farmers in their responsibilities for managing the environment, said Ms Joynson.

“Farmers were able to share best practice and put themselves at the forefront of managing local water quality for future generations,’’ she added.

Although the Agrisgôp group has now disbanded, the farmers are continuing to meet with Welsh Water to ensure water quality is considered when undertaking land management practices in the area.

Farming Connect continues to support the farmers through its development officer for South Pembrokeshire, Susie Morgan, with initiatives such as soil sampling and conductivity scanning to inform the possible introduction of precision farming techniques in the future. This is Phase 3 of a programme of work which involves providing support or resources to implement a collaborative approach to improve and protect water quality at our borehole at Morfa Bychan.

Farming Connect, which is delivered by Menter a Busnes and Lantra, is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Welsh Government.

Ffermwyr yn diogelu ansawdd dŵr gyda chymorth rhaglen Agrisgôp

Mae ansawdd y dŵr a dynnir o dwll turio dŵr yfed pwysig yn cael ei ddiogelu, diolch i newidiadau bychain i arferion ffermio a sbardunwyd gan gydweithio rhwng ffermwyr a Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, wedi’i hwyluso gan Cyswllt Ffermio.

Mae Dŵr Cymru’n tynnu dŵr o dwll turio Morfa Bychan ger Pentywyn sy’n cyflenwi dŵr i 8,000 o bobl yn ardal Sir Gaerfyrddin. Trwy weithio mewn partneriaeth â ffermwyr ar y tir o amgylch Morfa Bychan, mae Dŵr Cymru’n gallu diogelu ansawdd y dŵr yn well cyn iddo gyrraedd y gwaith trin dŵr ym Mhentywyn. Mae hyn yn eu helpu i gadw biliau’n isel, diogelu’r amgylchedd a diogelu ein ffynonellau dŵr yfed am genedlaethau i ddod.

Mae rhywfaint o’r tir sy’n draenio i mewn i’r twll turio’n cael ei ffermio ac mae ganddo nifer o lyncdyllau, sef nodweddion naturiol sy’n gallu achosi i weithgareddau sy’n digwydd uwchben y tir effeithio ar y dŵr daear.

Yn 2017, cysylltodd Dŵr Cymru â Menter a Busnes, sy’n darparu’r Gwasanaeth Trosglwyddo Gwybodaeth, Arloesi a Chynghori Cyswllt Ffermio, i ofyn am gymorth i weithio gyda ffermwyr er mwyn canfod atebion i’r problemau gydag ansawdd dŵr. Roeddent eisiau i bawb fod ar eu hennill. O ganlyniad, ffurfiwyd grŵp Agrisgôp.

Mae Agrisgôp yn rhaglen ddysgu gweithredol wedi’i hariannu’n llawn sy’n dod ag unigolion at ei gilydd o fusnesau fferm a choedwigaeth lleol sydd â’r un meddylfryd ac sy’n arloesol eu bryd.

Sefydlwyd y grŵp ym Mhentywyn gan yr arweinydd Agrisgôp Lilwen Joynson ac mae’n cynnwys saith ffermwr llaeth a chynhyrchydd eidion o ardal o dir sy’n draenio i mewn i’r twll turio dŵr yfed.

Cynhaliwyd cyfres o gyfarfodydd ar y ffermydd, cafwyd ymweliad â’r gwaith trin dŵr lleol a chynhaliwyd trafodaethau dan gyfarwyddyd Ms Joynson. Arweiniodd hyn oll at ganfod nifer o atebion a fyddai o fudd i’r ffermwyr ac i’r amgylchedd dŵr.

“Roedd y ffermwyr yn deall y broblem yn glir iawn a’r hyn y gallent ei wneud ar y cyd i’w mesur a’i rheoli” meddai.

I Roy Bevan, sy’n godro 500 o wartheg ar East Pool Farm, mae hyn yn golygu ei fod yn gwasgaru slyri a thail dim ond ar y tir sydd y tu allan i ddalgylch y dŵr. Mewn cyfnodau o law trwm, mae’n rheoli ei dir i sicrhau bod unrhyw ddŵr ffo posibl yn cael ei ddargyfeirio oddi wrth y nant sy’n bwydo’r twll turio.

Dywedodd Mr Bevan bod y dull a hyrwyddir gan Agrisgôp yn un y byddai’n ei argymell i ffermwyr eraill. “Mae mynd ati gyda hwylusydd annibynnol i drafod y problemau gyda Dŵr Cymru wedi bod yn brofiad hynod o bositif. Gwnaeth Lilwen waith rhagorol,” meddai.

Dywedodd aelod arall o’r grŵp, y ffermwr llaeth David Tremellen, o Fferm Tremoilet, bod yr ymarfer wedi canolbwyntio ei feddwl ar y ffordd y gallai arferion rheoli tir effeithio ar ansawdd y dŵr ac mae’n fwy ymwybodol o’r broblem erbyn hyn. “Mae ymweliad â’r gwaith trin dŵr wedi ein gwneud ni’n fwy ymwybodol o ba mor fawr a drud yw’r broblem i’r gwaith trin dŵr yn aml iawn wrth iddo brosesu dŵr crai o ansawdd gwael. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth nad oeddem yn ymwybodol ohono cyn cymryd rhan yn y fenter hon.”

Roedd Mr Tremellen, sy’n godro 470 o wartheg mewn system loia drwy’r flwyddyn gron, yn cydnabod bod ffermwyr yn gallu bod yn ofnus ar brydiau pan fydd problemau’n cael eu codi mewn perthynas ag ansawdd dŵr ond bod dull Agrisgôp wedi lleddfu pryderon.

“Ni fyddem wedi cwrdd â Dŵr Cymru a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru gyda’r un meddylfryd os na fyddai Agrisgôp wedi ein helpu,” meddai.

Yn ôl Ms Joynson, roedd y fenter yn enghraifft dda o ffermwyr yn ymdrin â’u cyfrifoldebau eu hunain am reoli’r amgylchedd.

“Gall y ffermwyr rannu arferion gorau a’u rhoi eu hunain ar flaen y gad wrth reoli ansawdd y dŵr lleol ar gyfer cenedlaethau’r dyfodol,” ychwanegodd.

Er nad yw’r grŵp Agrisgôp yn bodoli bellach, mae’r ffermwyr yn dal i gwrdd â Dŵr Cymru i sicrhau bod ansawdd y dŵr yn derbyn ystyriaeth wrth wneud gwaith rheoli tir yn yr ardal.

Mae Cyswllt Ffermio’n parhau i gefnogi’r ffermwyr drwy gyfrwng ei swyddog datblygu ar gyfer De Sir Benfro, Susie Morgan, gyda mentrau megis samplu pridd a sganio dargludedd i hysbysu unrhyw gynlluniau posibl i gyflwyno technegau ffermio manwl gywir yn y dyfodol. Dyma Gam 3 mewn rhaglen waith sy’n cynnwys darparu cefnogaeth neu adnoddau i weithredu dull cydweithredol o wella a diogelu ansawdd y dŵr yn ein twll turio ym Morfa Bychan.

Mae Cyswllt Ffermio, sy’n cael ei ddarparu gan Menter a Busnes a Lantra, yn cael ei ariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Chronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig.