Pesticide in stream a first in two decades

And the figures, released by Guernsey Water, excluded glyphosate, the controversial chemical found in weed-killer, which the States has restricted use of but deputies decided against banning completely after a debate at the end of March.

The utility has again encouraged islanders to avoid using pesticides to control plants and insects.

‘Glyphosate has been under the spotlight recently because it is now banned from use in most situations. However, that does not mean we should simply use other pesticides without any thought to their effects,’ said water quality risk manager Margaret McGuinness.

‘Guernsey’s drinking water quality continues to be excellent, and our treatment processes can manage the current levels of pesticides.

‘If the level of pesticides in a stream becomes a concern, we divert it away from our reservoirs, so we are asking islanders to reconsider their use of pesticides to help us collect more water and protect the island from drought.’

She said it was concerning that millions of litres of water already have to be diverted into the sea to protect the water supply from contamination.

Guernsey Water said last year that about 250m. litres of water from the Vale Pond water catchment area could not be collected because it contained too much pesticide, although levels have reduced recently, allowing the water to be collected again.

The pesticides detected in the first three months of the year are believed to have come from both commercial and domestic use.

Households can dispose of pesticides for free by taking them to the household waste and recycling centre at Longue Hougue.

. More information for domestic and commercial users can be found at gov.gg/gardenchemicals.