Land drainage

Removing excess water from the soil is a key to maximising grass growth and for increasing wheat yield, and it is something we have been doing for thousands of years. Throughout history ditches and land drains have been installed to slowly move water to the nearest watercourse, there are many millions of metres of pipe under our feet. The effect of this network transforms fields making productive agriculture possible and far more efficient. Without an artificial drainage scheme winter sports pitches would quickly become unplayable quagmires.

This work continues today, with many specialist NAAC contractors using modern state of the art machinery, often guided by GPS grade control install pipework all over the country. Although the theory behind the industry is easy to understand, the level of precision needed to install drains at the correct grade is exacting. Buried a meter below the ground the drains can last for many generations, working twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week whenever it rains.  This network is a vital national asset and its maintenance is a key factor in profitable farming.