Free advice · England
United Utilities catchment advice and grants
Catchment advisers in drinking water safeguard zones have offered free advice, water quality plans and small grants for yards, gateways, fencing and drinkers.
- From
- United Utilities
- How much
- Not published for 2026. (Older offers included up to 70% for conifer planting in Cheshire groundwater safeguard zones.)
- Who can apply
- Farmers in United Utilities drinking water safeguard zones in the North West.
Where it’s available
Land in parts of: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Halton, Knowsley, Lancashire, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St. Helens, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington, Westmorland and Furness, Wigan, Wirral. The finder checks your exact land.
What you’ll need
- Land in a safeguard zone
How to apply
- Contact your local United Utilities catchment adviser
Unclear: all UU farmer offers we found are undated or several years old. The CaST Account £300,000 fund was for charities and closed in April 2021.
Similar schemes
- Bespoke Water Quality Improvement Projects Scheme OpenThames WaterLarger contributions for farm projects that bring big, long-term water quality improvements.
- Catchment Fund OpenThames Water · Closes 30 November 2026Part-funding for farm work that cuts nitrate and herbicide pollution of drinking water sources in priority catchments.
- River Health and Community Fund OpenThames WaterGrants for community projects that engage people with rivers or improve them.
- River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme OpenWessex WaterAnnual payments and one-off funding for farm changes that cut phosphorus run-off, such as arable reversion to grass, herbal leys, buffer strips, beetle banks, hedges, trees and wetlands.
- STEPS 2026 (Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme) OpenSevern Trent · Closes 11 December 2026Grants for soil health, soil structure, watercourse protection, better use of inputs, livestock management and keeping soil and nutrients in the field, plus a Farmer Innovation option.
- Tone, Parrett and Yeo Phosphorus Reduction Scheme OpenWessex WaterAnnual payments for farm changes that cut phosphorus run-off in the Somerset Tone, Parrett and Yeo sub-catchments.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2, 3. Always read the official page before you apply.