Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Campaigners have revealed that tens of thousands of cubic metres of waste water, containing untreated sewage, was dumped into the Western Cleddau river in Pembrokeshire in 2023. The Cleddau Project alleged that data from Welsh Water showed pumps at the Picton pumping station were at 80% capacity from July 2022 to February 2024. This meant that 56,000 cubic metres, equivalent to 17 tankers a day, which should have been sent to a sewage treatment plant, ended up in the conservation area instead.
Campaigner Simon Walters warned that the spills would harm salmon and sewin movements, adding that E.coli levels were “way” above those that permit safe bathing. Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP, Henry Tufnell, referred to the pollution as “not acceptable”. Meanwhile, the Cleddau Project found high levels of ammonia in the water and tests proved that sewage was being discharged at levels that were toxic to fish.
Welsh Water apologised for the incident and stated that the pumps at the Picton pumping station had been upgraded to reduce spillages. However, they did admit that there may be problems at other locations across Wales. The Picton overflow pipe discharged 133 times in 2023, and the Cleddau Project discovered that the levels of sewage were such that toxic levels of ammonia were found in the water.
As for Natural Resources Wales (NRW), campaigners asked officials several times to investigate but only responded in June 2023, about a year after the requests commenced. Walters said that more resources were needed, as NRW was investigating only 20% of alleged breaches reported. The UK Government will soon take “definitive action” on tackling pollution with the proposed Environment Bill. Ofwat confirmed in July that Welsh Water, along with three other firms, were being investigated for the way they managed waste water treatment works and networks
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.