www.haith.co.uk
Vegetables
Reed bed creates sustainable source of water for organic vegetables
O
ne of region’s biggest veg- etable growers has in- stalled a reed bed to fi l-
ter water before washing organic carrots. “As an organic site, we invest- ed in a natural water treatment process – a reed bed, to clean our water instead of using chem- icals,” says Jamie Tointon, head of operations at Produce World’s factory at Yaxley, near Peterbor- ough.
Some 89% of water used by
Produce World is processed through the natural fi ltration system which holds 12,000 cu- bic metres of water. The reed spe- cies used are the Common Reed (Phragmites Australis) and Bul- rush (Typha Latifoli).
Cost effective “As an organic facility, the de- cision to install a reedbed was more about narrative than eco- nomic benefi ts,” says Mr Toin- ton. “However, when you break it down, the site was spending about £50,000 a year on chem- icals. For a large site, our water bill is now relatively low.” The cost-effective system uses a series of dams slow the fl ow of water as it travels along the river, explains Mr Tointon. This water is then passed through four sep- arate gravel fi ltration processes, giving solids in the water time to settle. “The reeds transfer oxygen to their roots, which is utilised by diverse microorganisms. These
The system is designed to be low maintenance. Photo credit: Produce World microorganisms enhance the
biological treatment function of the system. Water soaks through four individual pea grav- el beds to be pumped into a hold- ing lagoon.”
Low maintenance The system operates on a closed loop. This means clean water goes into the factory each morning for washing the vegetables, and the dirty water is returned to the la- goon in the evening for process- ing. There is little need for main- tenance, other than managing the fl ow rate.
Agri-Tech East, the UK’s largest membership organisa- tion for agricultural-technolo- gy, organised a special visit to the Yaxley site on 17 May, where attendees interested in the sys- tem were able to learn about reed bed installation and main- tenance. “A sustainable source of
good quality water is critical in agriculture,” says Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-Tech East. “We were excited to provide the op- portunity to see Produce World’s reedbed at Yaxley, allowing par- ticipants to understand its bene-
“
A sustainable source of good quality water is critical in agriculture
fi ts and how to install one them- selves.
In addition to the reed bed,
Produce World has planted around 500 trees and shrubs to create a good habitat for local wildlife – complementing the Wildlife Trusts’ plans to convert nearby land back into wetland.
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JUNE 2017 • ANGLIA FARMER 61
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