Dwr Cymru Welsh Water has announced the launch of new collaborative partnerships with colleges in north Wales on to promote best practice in land and water management to safeguard drinking water sources now and for years to come.

The water company said the partnerships with Coleg Glynllifon and Coleg Llysfasi would be used to co-create and develop opportunities which promote its WaterSource message and encourage exemplar land and water management practices.

Welsh Water will be developing a multi-year programme of activities with both colleges that promote best practice and innovative win-win solutions for the utility and agricultural businesses. The organisations will be working together to:

• Promote various campaigns to raise awareness of water quality challenges
• Trial and support new ways of working
• Use colleges to share learnings on best practice
• Communications and signposting to best practice advice and support
• Facilitated workshops, group discussions and knowledge transfer events
• Student visits to water and wastewater treatment plants
• Support future land managers

Alwyn Roberts, Water Project Specialist with WaterSource commented:

“We are delighted to announce both of these initial collaborative partnerships which will see us work together with the further education sector, and share knowledge, so we can promote sustainable land management approaches that help reduce risks to field losses, water quality and environmental impact.

"We will also use these partnerships to align best practice to protect the water environment with course syllabus delivery at both Glynllifon and Llysfasi Colleges. Our aim is to inspire and work with the next generation of Welsh farmers to demonstrate how improving farm production efficiency and environmental performance go hand in hand - collectively we can make a massive difference.”

Martin Jardine Director of Agri Food at Coleg Glynllifon said:

“We welcome this partnership with Dwr Cymru as it presents an excellent opportunity for Further Education to take an active role in sharing and transferring knowledge to the Land based sector.

Ensuring that future generations understand the opportunities to embed new ways of working will wherever possible see challenges understood and best practice adopted. Working with Dwr Cymru to undertake innovative trials at Glynllifon presents an exciting opportunity to engage in active research, which will add real value to the curriculum and the support we provide to the sector.”

Elin Roberts, Head of Llysfasi added:

“At Llysfasi, we’re proud to be working in partnership with Dŵr Cymru to promote sustainable land and water management through collaboration and shared learning. By combining our agricultural expertise with Dŵr Cymru’s commitment to protecting water resources, we can demonstrate how best practice benefits both farming and the environment. "This partnership provides valuable opportunities for our students to see these principles in action and to understand their vital role in safeguarding Wales’s natural resources for future generations.”