Following an exceptionally dry summer, water resilience is firmly on the agenda for farming businesses across England.
Defra has announced that the Water Management Grant will reopen with up to £15 million available to support the construction of on-farm reservoirs, helping farmers store water when it is available and strengthen resilience during periods of drought.
The grant is expected to open in autumn 2026, with full details on eligibility, eligible costs and the application process still to be confirmed.
For farmers already considering investment in water storage, now is a good time to start looking beyond the reservoir itself.
Because before water can be stored, there is ground to excavate, material to move, access to establish, drainage to consider and infrastructure to build.
That is where RIG can help.
From first excavation to final access
Reservoir construction can involve moving significant volumes of material before the wider infrastructure even begins to take shape.
RIG provides muckaway, recovered aggregates and haulage support across Cornwall, giving farmers, groundworkers and agricultural contractors the option to manage several elements of a project through one local supplier.
At the excavation stage, we can help remove excavated material from site, keeping working areas clear and reducing disruption as groundworks progress.
But what comes out of the ground is only one side of the project. Materials also need to come back in.
For areas requiring drainage, robust foundation layers or bulk fill, our 40–80mm recovered aggregate, provides a coarse, no-fines material suitable for a range of heavy-duty groundwork applications. It can also be used in agricultural tracks, making it particularly useful where access needs to withstand regular plant and machinery movements.
Where the project requires cohesive fill, sealing or capping, CF1offers another option. CF1 can be used in applications including ponds, canals and lagoons as an alternative to puddling clay, as well as for bulk fill, haul roads and ground stabilisation. For reservoir and water-management schemes, it is a material worth considering as part of the wider engineering specification.
Once the main works are complete, reliable access around the reservoir can be just as important as the structure itself. Our recovered 803 sub-base can be laid and compacted to create stable construction layers for tracks, access routes, hardstanding and associated infrastructure.
Rather than viewing these as individual products, they can form part of the same project:
Excavate the site. Move material out. Bring the right material back in. Build drainage, formation and access.
RIG can support the process throughout.
Fewer suppliers. Fewer moving parts.
Agricultural infrastructure projects often require several suppliers and haulage movements to be coordinated at the same time.
RIG can provide both muckaway and recovered aggregate supply, helping reduce the number of different companies involved in getting material on and off site.
With our own fleet, including 4, 6 and 8-wheel vehicles and grab lorries, we can work with different volumes, access requirements and project stages.
There is also a wider circular economy benefit.
RIG specialises in recovering waste materials. Material brought into our facilities can be processed for recovery where appropriate, while our recovered aggregates provide an alternative to relying solely on primary materials for new projects.
It creates a much more joined-up approach: materials out, recovered materials back in and one team helping coordinate the movement between the two.
If a reservoir project is on the horizon, start planning the groundwork now
The new Water Management Grant is not yet open and the final funding criteria have still to be published.
However, Defra has confirmed that the scheme will focus on water storage for crop irrigation, particularly supporting the horticulture and arable sectors to become more resilient to drought and climate change.
For farmers considering an on-farm reservoir, the funding announcement creates a good reason to start developing projects now.
And for groundworkers, irrigation specialists, drainage contractors and agricultural advisors, it could create increased demand for reservoir and water-management infrastructure over the coming months.
Early conversations about excavation volumes, muckaway, site access, haulage and aggregate requirements can make projects easier to plan and cost when they move forward.
So if you’re planning an on-farm reservoir, delivering the groundworks for a client or working on another agricultural infrastructure project, speak to RIG about how we can support it.
Got a project in the pipeline? Talk to our team early and we can look at your anticipated volumes, site access, muckaway and material requirements.
01209 702877
sales@rig-uk.com
Please note: The Water Management Grant is expected to reopen in autumn 2026. Defra has not yet published the final eligibility criteria, eligible costs or application process for the new round. RIG products and services should not be assumed to qualify for grant funding until official guidance has been published.