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LV8

Pipework associated with livestock troughs

Capital Items open_in_new View on RPA Website

£3.31

per metre · one-off

info Summary

This Capital Grant item, LV8, provides funding for pipework associated with livestock troughs to reduce water pollution from farming by offering an alternative to direct watercourse access. It aims to prevent bank erosion, sediment pollution, and faecal contamination of watercourses, and is used where new troughs are needed for grazing requirements.

format_list_bulleted What to do

  • Use medium-density blue polyethylene pipework with an external diameter of at least 25mm
  • Ensure all joints are watertight and made of brass or plastic
  • Bury pipework below cultivation depth and to at least 600mm (or as determined by local water supplier)
  • Cover pipes crossing open ditches with a tubular steel guard or sleeve pipe, laid 600mm below the ditch
  • Lay pipes crossing farm tracks on a 75mm sand bed, cover with 100mm sand, then backfill

checklist How to do

  • Use medium-density blue polyethylene pipework with an external diameter of at least 25mm
  • Ensure all joints are watertight and made of brass or plastic
  • Bury pipework below cultivation depth and to at least 600mm (or as determined by local water supplier)
  • Cover pipes crossing open ditches with a tubular steel guard or sleeve pipe, laid 600mm below the ditch
  • Lay pipes crossing farm tracks on a 75mm sand bed, cover with 100mm sand, then backfill

description Evidence Required

  • You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • * photographs of the site during the different stages of construction or contracts, invoices or other documents confirming the technical specification for the completed works
  • * photographs of the completed works in place and installed

  • 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.

tips_and_updates Additional Advice

  • Do not allow overflow or leaks to contribute to runoff, ponding, or erosion
  • Do not damage any historic or environmental features identified in your HEFER
  • Check that the work meets relevant British Standards

View Official Guidelines

Access detailed information about this action on the RPA website

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info Additional Information

LV8: Pipework associated with 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

£3.31 per metre (m).

How this item benefits the environment

Providing livestock with an alternative to drinking from watercourses 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 a new trough is needed to meet the grazing requirements of a creation or management action or option

You cannot use this item:

  • to replace existing equipment in the same location
  • under housing or roof structures
  • within 10m of watercourses
  • on areas vulnerable to soil erosion as identified on your Farm Environment Record
  • 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:

  • use pipework made of medium-density blue polyethylene with an external diameter of at least 25 millimetres (mm)
  • make sure that all the joints are watertight and made of brass or plastic
  • bury the pipework below cultivation depth and to at least 600mm (or as determined by the local water supplier)
  • cover the pipe with a tubular steel guard or sleeve pipe if it crosses an open ditch
  • lay the pipe 600mm below the ditch to allow for ditch cleaning
  • lay the pipe on a 75mm bed of sand if it crosses farm tracks and then cover it with a further 100mm of sand, before overlaying it with backfill

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • photographs of the site during the different stages of construction or contracts, invoices or other documents confirming the technical specification for the completed works
  • photographs of the completed works in place and installed

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 capital 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

LV7: 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.

Site maintenance

To maintain the site, you should not:

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

British Standards

Check to make sure the work meets relevant British Standards.

Questions about LV8?

Ask Tom anything about this subsidy, eligibility, evidence requirements, or compatibility with other actions.