United Utilities join with National Trust to save water on iconic Cheshire estate

United Utilities has teamed up with the National Trust to help the charity protect its historic Lyme Park estate from water scarcity. 

During the extended dry weather that was seen in 2025, the large estate in Cheshire was looking at ways it could reduce its water consumption, but still manage its extensive gardens, manage its livestock and keep the on-site plant nursery watered.

Following an audit of the park, the water company noted two areas where the charity could reduce its water usage and save on its water bill.

As a result of the audit, a new rainwater-harvesting system, designed to capture and store up to 13,000-litres of rainfall has been installed.  This will help to keep cattle and plants watered. 

The park has also been given four, 200-litre water butts to help plants stay hydrated in the nursery and keep the gardens green across the iconic estate.

Helen Broughton, Water Delivery Efficiency Manager at United Utilities praised the partnership approach and hopes to deliver similar schemes across the region: “It’s been great to work alongside the team at Lyme Park, and they’ve truly embraced and got behind this whole project. We’d love to see similar initiatives on other large estates where rainwater management solutions could help a little to go a long way.

“Thank you to the National Trust for working with us to safeguard precious water supplies in Cheshire.”

The park had been primarily using tap water to manage the estate, but the team were keen to look at alternative solutions and do their bit to use water wisely, while also saving on their water bill.

Claire Disley, Lyme Park’s Area Ranger, shared how transformative the new system already is: “After a really difficult summer with dry weather, we quickly ran out of water and had to rely on tap water, which was hugely costly. Fifteen cows alone can use around 450 litres of water a day, and we have more than 40 cows on site.

“During the drought, we were also having to prioritise watering specific trees to keep them alive, which was a very strenuous time for the team. With the new systems installed, our cows will have water available, we’ll be able to wash vehicles, and our gardeners can water plants across the site throughout the summer without worry. We’re incredibly grateful to United Utilities for their support.”

United Utilities continues to work in collaboration with the National Trust and retail partner Wave to carry out further water audits across National Trust properties, helping to identify additional opportunities to reduce potable water use and strengthen long term water resilience.

The project forms part of United Utilities’ wider commitment to deliver the largest investment in water and wastewater infrastructure in a century across the North West. Between now and 2030, the company will invest more than £13.5 billion to protect and enhance more than 500km of rivers, lakes and bathing waters, while safeguarding drinking water supplies for millions of customers.