Sustainability

The WET system at Sheppy's Cider Farm handles all the waste water and effluent from the cider-making plant, and has been designed with plenty of extra capacity for future growth.

Designed as a series of winding ditches (swales) and banks, the whole area is planted with over 15,000 wetland plants, including many varieties of willow, reeds.

This man-made “natural” system will degrade the waste over a two year period as it progresses through the planted ditches, until the end product is "clean" water.

The scheme extends over approximately 4 acres and improved on the old holding lagoon system was deemed increasingly unsatisfactory in environmental terms.  While the outlay for the new scheme was large, it requires minimal attention over the years and will create a rare wildlife haven for wetland birds in particular.