LV7: Livestock troughs

This item is part of Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Capital Grants 2025 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the CSHT applicant’s guide to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid

£152.92 per trough.

How this item benefits the environment

Providing livestock with an alternative to drinking from watercourses and ponds reduces bank erosion, sediment pollution and the faecal contamination of watercourses.

Where you can use this item

You can use this item either in areas:

• targeted for the reduction of water pollution caused by farming, where livestock are excluded from stream or surface waters
• where grazing is being introduced as part of a management action or option

You cannot use this item:

• under housing or roof structures
• within 10 metres (m) of ditches, streams or waterways
• on areas vulnerable to soil erosion as identified on your Farm Environment Record (FER)
• to replace an existing trough
• within 6m of an historic or archaeological feature identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER)

What you must do to use this item

You must:

• make sure the trough is made of galvanised steel, concrete, spray-moulded glass-reinforced cement (GRC) or polyethylene
• connect the trough to a water supply or to supply water from a bowser on a regular basis
• make sure the trough has a ball valve and service box and complies with British standard BS3445 for water troughs
• meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 if using a mains water supply

Evidence you must keep

You must keep photographs of the completed work and provide with your claim.

You must also keep and provide on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• photographs of site before works start

Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.

Other items you can use with this item

You can use this item with these items:

LV3: Hard bases for livestock drinkers

LV4:Hard bases for livestock feeders

LV5: Pasture pumps and associated pipework

LV6: Ram pumps and associated pipework

LV8: Pipework associated with livestock troughs

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.

Choosing a site

Place the trough:

• on hard-standing or on well-drained soil to avoid unnecessary trampling (poaching), erosion or runoff
• away from features through which organic manures and sediment could enter waterways – avoid siting troughs on a flow pathway or close to a valley bottom to a watercourse, ensuring the trough is at least 10m from a watercourse

Do not:

• allow overflow or leaks to contribute to runoff, ponding or erosion in the field
• damage historic or environmental features identified in your HEFER

British Standards

Check to make sure the work meets relevant British Standards.