Chemical disposal scheme now open

NI Water’s Farm Chemical Disposal Scheme is now open in the River Derg catchment area in County Tyrone.

Farmers in the eligible area are encouraged to use this free farm-to-farm collection of unwanted chemicals and pesticides.

The scheme will collect unwanted or out-of-date herbicides, weedkiller, sheep dip, insecticide sprays, rod-

enticides, fungicide sprays, veter-inary medicines and empty con-tainers.

If you register for the scheme the NI Water contractor will collect these items free of charge from your farmyard on a pre-arranged date and then dispose of safely and confidentially.

Registration for the scheme open-ed on November 1 and closes on November 30. Collection of the chemicals will then commence on January 9.

To be eligible for the scheme, farmers must live within the County Tyrone drinking water catchment area upstream of the Water Treatment Works near Ardstraw. This includes areas such as Spamount, Castlederg, Killen, Aghyaran and Killeter.

This service was successfully trialled in April 2022, so if you missed it last time this is another chance to get those unwanted chemicals collected.

Peter Quinn, NI Water Catchment Officer, commented: “This scheme is taking place to reduce the risk of dangerous chemicals making their way into watercourses which lead to the River Derg, which is an important drinking water source for the local area. We are happy to be working with our contractors, McQuillan Environmental, who will pick up the waste chemicals from your farm and dispose of them safely on our behalf and within all waste management regulations.”

The scheme is also supported by the Ulster Farmers’ Union. David Brown, UFU President, said: “We are happy to support this NI Water venture that helps protect our water sources and I would really encourage farmers in this area to take up the opportunity and register for this free service. This is an excellent scheme which will help farmers tidy up their stores and give peace of mind that unwanted chemicals are out of the way and disposed of safely.”

To see the project details or to register for this free service please go to the following webpage: www.niwater.com/farm-chemical-disposal/

n Alternatively, you can contact 07772 225226 or 07585 996364. Please have your postcode at hand, which will be used to check eligibility. (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).