Safe drinking water is vital for human health. Diffuse pollution of nitrogen and pesticides from agriculture is the main obstacle to meet drinking water quality targets.
The objective of FAIRWAY is
- to review approaches for protection of drinking water resources against pollution by pesticides and nitrate, and
- to identify and further develop innovative measures and governance approaches for a more effective drinking water protection.
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February 2021: Cleaning out the pesticide store - new infographic
Recently released on the FAIRWAYiS website - an infographic from the Noord Brabant .
»Cleaning out the pesticide store
As part of the Clean Water project, farmers are supported to get rid of outdated and leftover pesticides without obligation. It prevents unnecessary use or discharge of these chemicals. This approach is very successful and is now used in projects throughout the Netherlands.
September 2020: Danish farmers' recommendations - new infographic
Recently released on the FAIRWAYiS website - an infographic from farmers in the Aalborg case study.
»Danish farmer's recommendations
Based on practical experience, three Danish farmers from the FAIRWAY case study of Aalborg make recommendations which they believe can ease groundwater protection processes when nitrate and/or pesticide restrictions are discussed for agricultural land.
September 2020: New scientific publication
We are delighted to announce another new publication by members of the FAIRWAY team
Kim, H.; Surdyk, N.; Møller, I.; Graversgaard, M.; Blicher-Mathiesen, G.; Henriot, A.; Dalgaard, T.; Hansen, B. Lag Time as an Indicator of the Link between Agricultural Pressure and Drinking Water Quality State. Water 2020, 12, 2385.
»https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/9/2385
Diffuse nitrogen (N) pollution from agriculture in groundwater and surface water is a major challenge in terms of meeting drinking water targets in many parts of Europe. A bottom-up approach involving local stakeholders may be more effective than national- or European-level approaches for addressing local drinking water issues. Common understanding of the causal relationship between agricultural pressure and water quality state, e.g., nitrate pollution among the stakeholders, is necessary to define realistic goals of drinking water protection plans and to motivate the stakeholders; however, it is often challenging to obtain.
