Farm digesters stop river pollution at source
“Farm slurry becomes energy + fertiliser. River pollution stops at source. / Every farm that installs a biodigester is a farm whose slurry is no longer in the river.”
unsupported Retired in version 2.0.0, 2 October 2026.
Where it appeared: Briefing paper, section 5; Home page: 'Circular agriculture'.
Why it failed
Digestate keeps its nitrogen and phosphorus (Welsh Water's own plan says the nutrient content of its product 'remains little-changed') and is spread under the same Welsh rules as slurry. Digestion changes the energy and the smell, not the need for storage and careful spreading.
Evidence
- Welsh Water, PR19 bioresources business plan (2018), page 20
- Welsh Government, guidance on the Control of Agricultural Pollution (Wales) Regulations 2021
What the site says now
Farm digestion appears as an opportunity with labelled estimates, not as a pollution fix.