LV7: Livestock troughs - GOV.UK
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.
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.
Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 3 February 2025 + show all updates
- 3 February 2025
General improvement for clarity.
- 7 November 2023
Removal of text confirming LV7 Livestock troughs availability under Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot), as the SFI Capital offer is no longer available.
- 26 April 2022
Added details of eligibility with Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot).
- 31 January 2021
Added in links to Capital Grants manual as this option is now available for Capital Grants
- 29 March 2016
Information updated for applications in 2016.
- 2 April 2015
First published.