Water Net Gain

Competition: Breakthrough 3: Catalyst

Amount awarded: £999,800

Led by: South West Water

Partners: Westcountry Rivers Trust, Rivers Trust, South West Water, Duchy College, Environment Agency, Saputo Dairy UK, United Utilities, Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, Portsmouth Water (Advisory Panel only), South East Water (Advisory Panel only), Southern Water (Advisory Panel only)

Project completion date: May 2027

Water cycle tag: Rivers, catchments, groundwater

Water Net Gain is a catchment-scale approach whereby farmers are paid to store water on their land. Restoring natural sponges, like healthy soils, woodlands and wetlands, can passively contribute water to summer base flows, but the creation of additional smart ponds and lakes, can be used for farm demand management or active releasing flows during droughts. The impact of this distributive ecologically connected water bank, released to the river during droughts, dilutes residual pollution not managed through current agricultural water quality incentivisation schemes. Alongside water purification, water retention solutions are designed to provide additional flood protection and aquatic biodiversity benefits.

Water Net Gain is a research and development project initially focused in the Tamar, Otter and Fowey catchments.

“Water Net Gain comes at a pivotal point for South West Water as climate change forecasts predict even more challenges for managing water. By making the most of the rain we receive we can ensure enough water for both our communities and for the habitats and wildlife in our rivers.” – Carolyn Cadman, Director of Natural Resources, South West Water

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Update from the project (January 2026)

Water Net Gain is gaining momentum across our delivery streams. Farmer engagement: Farm advisors across four different Rivers Trusts have engaged with farmers across the country, to identify the water resilience challenges farmers are facing, and to see whether Water Net Gain can provide a solution. The farm interviews are shedding light on farmers’ willingness to participate in a Water Net Gain scheme, and specifically how it depends on the location, farm type, current perceived water resilience and other individual factors. We will dive into the details in Quarter 1 2026, to identify how this will shape the final Water Net Gain scheme proposal. We are working steadily towards the demonstration site delivery, and have conducted a ground investigation, to identify ground conditions and level of groundwater. We published our Pond Design Report, which is now available on our website: WNG Additional Resources – Westcountry Rivers Trust And lastly, we are continuing to work with our partners in the water industry to identify the best way for delivery, looking at barriers, enablers and business integration.