Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Pond

Date published: 8 December, 2022

For recent changes to this guidance, please see the bottom of the page.

The aim of this item is to improve water quality by creating a pond to intercept and treat run-off that currently discharges direct to a watercourse or freshwater drain. Ponds can improve water quality through natural processes including filtration, retention and biological breakdown.

Any land is eligible, provided that it meets all of the requirements set out below.

This option must be combined with:

Additionally, ponds receiving field run-off only must be combined with the capital item for:

Ponds that only receive roof run-off can be standalone but those that receive run-off from a steading must be combined with the capital option for:

or

You can check if this item is available on your holding using the search targeting tool which can be found on any of the following AECS guidance pages:

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Eligibility

How to Apply

Management Options and Capital Items

Capital Items

You must prepare a plan that must include a map of the relevant fields / steading, identifying the location of the rural sustainable drainage system feature.

For rural sustainable drainage system features receiving run-off from a steading, the plan must include a calculation of the size of the rural sustainable drainage system features including the amount of run-off draining to it (treatment volume).

You must also produce a diffuse pollution steading assessment.

It is important that the assessment clearly identifies the source of the run-off to be collected, where it currently discharges to (e.g. river) and the pathway - how the run-off gets from where it originates to the watercourse.

  • run-off (except roof run off) must first enter a sediment trap or swale prior to the pond
  • only run-off which currently discharges direct to a watercourse or freshwater drain and which does not fall within the definition of slurry or silage effluent may be conveyed to a pond
  • run-off from pesticide handling or washdown areas must not be conveyed to a retention pond
  • fencing should be provided to protect people and livestock
  • existing ponds must not be used
  • you must obtain planning permission, or have confirmation that planning permission is not required for your proposed pond

You can claim £15.00 per square metre (excluding fencing).

The inspectors will check:

  • the location and extent of the pond
  • run-off first enters a sediment trap prior to pond
  • only run-off which does not fall within the definition of slurry or silage effluent is conveyed to a pond
  • run-off from pesticide handling or wash-down areas is not conveyed to a pond
  • fencing should be provided to protect people and livestock
  • existing ponds are not used

Section Change
Application Requirements Insertion of link to Diffuse Pollution Risk assessment and Diffuse Pollution Steading Assessment web page

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Management options and capital items

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