Water company uses trees to restore damaged peatlands

The logs from the conifer trees will be used in peatland restoration work

A water company is reusing conifer trees from wastewater sites in Devon.

South West Water (SWW) said staff had been working at two treatment works in recent months to remove large conifer trees as part of biodiversity improvements.

Further trees were set to be removed over the coming weeks, according to the company.

Logs from the conifers would be used in peatland restoration work at Burrator Reservoir and Park Pit, it added.

This work is being carried out by the South West Peatland Partnership, a £13m project led by South West Water.

'Paying real attention'

Barney Agar, the utility's Dartmoor project coordinator, said: "We are paying real attention to which species are found on our sites and how we can make these sites better for wildlife.

"As part of this, we are working to raise biodiversity standards on all our sites across the region."

Carolyn Cadman, SWW's director of natural resources, said it was "fantastic" to be able to reuse the removed logs in a sustainable way and "protect and enhance the natural environment for now and for years to come".

The work was one of a trialled approach but could be rolled out more widely across the company's sites if successful, bosses said.