Rezatec, a provider of geospatial data analytics to the infrastructure, forestry and agribusiness sectors, has renewed its annual supply contract with Bristol Water to provide agricultural land mapping and soil erosion risk modelling data products for the utility company’s water catchment management operations in South West England.
For the past three years, Rezatec has been supporting Bristol Water’s extensive water quality monitoring programme with its Water Catchment Management geospatial portal which delivers agricultural land use and soil erosion data products throughout the year. Rezatec algorithms measure and monitor the distribution of different crops across the wider catchment during the main growing season as well as the distribution of cover crops in winter. Bristol Water uses the data products derived from these algorithms to risk manage the prospective impact to water quality from diffuse pollution caused by nutrient applications and soil erosion risk associated with each crop type. These insights can then be used to enable positive engagement with key farmers to target reduction in diffuse pollution levels in the catchment areas.
Uniquely, Rezatec has extended the capability of its geospatial data products to offer in-season crop identification. This allows Bristol Water catchment managers to engage with farmers much earlier in the growing season than has been possible before so that risks can be mitigated earlier on in the agricultural cycle and advance warning given on any problems that might occur in the future.
Matthew Pitts, Catchment Strategy Manager at Bristol Water commented “We believe that catchment management is good environmental management. If we can identify problems before they occur, we may avoid the need for new energy-intensive water treatment techniques and reduce the amount of chemicals required for water treatment, as well as improving the overall environmental quality of our water sources. Rezatec’s portal helps us to identify at an early stage where interventions can deliver benefits on the ground.”
Philip Briscoe, COO at Rezatec added “We are delighted to have renewed our partnership with Bristol Water for the third year running. By working closely with our clients, we are able to identify the specific challenges they face and continually innovate to help support their business and vision.”
