NI Water are offering a free and confidential service for the safe disposal of unwanted, out of date or unlicensed pesticides and other chemicals and empty containers for farmers, growers and other pesticide users in the River Faughan and Lower Bann Priority catchment areas.
Farmers in the eligible areas are encouraged to avail of this free farm-to-farm collection of unwanted chemicals and pesticides. NI Water are using a registered waste contractor, McQuillan Environmental, to pick up unwanted, out of date or unlicensed waste from individual farms in both areas, as listed below:
- Herbicides/Weed Killer
- Sheep Dip
- Insecticide Sprays
- Rodenticides
- Fungicide Sprays
- Empty pesticide or chemical containers
- Veterinary medicines
It is important to note that there will be no come back to you on the chemicals disposed of. This is an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted chemicals and their containers and to reduce the risk to the environment and the drinking water source. If labels have come off, don’t worry as McQuillan’s can still take the container.
This collection service was successfully trialled in April 2022 and January 2023 in the Castlederg area. Farmers in this area were very pleased to have their unwanted pesticides and chemicals collected for free and a large amount of chemicals were disposed of and pollution risks have been avoided. Due to the success of the pilot scheme it has now been decided to roll this out to other key areas.
- For further details and to view the Terms & Conditions and data protection details for the scheme please
Eligibility
To be eligible for the scheme, farmers must live within one of the two eligible areas:
- Lower Bann priority drinking water catchment area. This is between Agivey and Castleroe areas
- River Faughan drinking water catchment area. This is between Drumahoe and Carnanreagh areas.
- To check if you live in the eligible area please
How to Register
Registration for the scheme opens on 2nd January 2024 and closes on the 16th February 2024. Collections of the chemicals will then commence early March 2024. If you register for the scheme, McQuillan Environmental will collect these items free of charge from your farmyard on a pre-arranged date and then dispose of them safely and confidentially. The scheme will be available on a first come, first served basis, so it’s best to register early to avoid disappointment.
To register for the scheme you must complete and submit the registration form at the link below. Please have details of what you want to dispose of and your farm postcode at hand, as this will be used to check eligibility.
- To register for the scheme online please
Kerry Morris, NI Water Catchment Officer commented, “This scheme is taking place to reduce the risk of dangerous chemicals making their way into watercourses within our drinking water catchments. We are happy to be working with our contractors, McQuillan Environmental, who will pick up the waste chemicals from the farm and dispose of them safely on our behalf and within all waste management regulations.”
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) also supports the scheme. 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.”
If you have any queries or require any further information, please email us at: catchment@niwater.com or contact us on 07824866310 or 07585996364 between 9am – 5pm Monday-Friday.