Latest news with #DŵrCymru
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
£5m investment secured for Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal which runs from Brecon to Cwmbran has sparked tonnes of debate. Concerns the canal was going to 'dry up' after a period of extreme hot weather experienced this year and new charges surrounding water licensing regulations led to campaigners 'upping the ante.' Campaigners took their message of 'Save The Mon and Brec' to the Senedd where a debate was held on July 9. Now, the Welsh Government have pledged to help preserve the canal. Protesters outside the Senedd campaigning to save the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (Image: NQ) £5 million is being invested to upgrade a pumping station in Brecon to help support the current water supply arrangement and possibly extend it. A formal statement made on July 17 by Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs reads: 'I intend to prioritise capital funding of up to £5m within my budget to upgrade the pumping station, which is supporting the current temporary agreement. 'I have asked my officials to engage immediately with Dŵr Cymru to progress the necessary works this year. I hope this will provide the basis for the arrangement to be put on a longer-term footing. This is a significant indication of Welsh Government commitment to the future of the canal.' Protesters outside the Senedd campaigning to save the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (Image: NQ) Campaigners are overwhelmed by the news and reaction has been strong. Activist group Preserve and Protect issued the following statement: 'The Welsh Government announced that "it intends to prioritise capital funding of up to £5m within its budget to upgrade the pumping station, which is supporting the current temporary agreement. 'This is great news for the Mon & Brec canal and is as a direct result of everyone's campaigning, the petition, and the Senedd rally.' Inland Waterways Wales said: 'IWA hugely welcomes Huw Irranca-Davies's statement yesterday on the future of the Mon & Brec. Our campaign along with Preserve & Protect The Mon & Brec Canal & others has seen results. 'This emergency Welsh Gov funding is a first piece of the puzzle. The Task & Finish Group must act faster now for a fair, lasting solution. 'The Mon & Brec is vital to communities, boaters, businesses & wildlife. It deserves a future as rich as its past.' Protesters outside the Senedd campaigning to save the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (Image: NQ) The Canal and Rivers Trust argued that more long-term solution surrounding water licensing should be introduced. It said: 'The Canal & River Trust notes that the upgrade of this asset will not address the cost and operational issues for the Trust itself that are the consequence of the new licence conditions. These issues must be addressed to secure the future of the canal. 'The Deputy First Minister has, however, also acknowledged that the group working on longer-term solutions must 'identify how any capital works and ongoing costs of the water supplied will be met', noting that this will require a collective endeavour. 'The Trust welcomes this commitment. The Trust will continue to champion the beautiful 'Mon & Brec' and everything it offers, and urges all those involved to work together to secure its long-term future.' Since 2017, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal has been required to hold a water abstraction licence to draw water from the River Usk — a resource it had used freely for over two centuries. Now, under new licensing rules, the Canal and River Trust Wales must liaise with Natural Resources Wales to extract water. The charity is struggling with water charges reportedly reaching tens of thousands of pounds per week. In April, an emergency water supply agreement was reached between the Canal and River Trust and Welsh Water, but it was made clear that this solution is only temporary. The future of the canal remains uncertain.
North Wales Live
11-07-2025
- Climate
- North Wales Live
Met Office warning for Wales with freak heat up to 27C persisting through night
This weekend's 'uncomfortably' hot weather may be followed by more heatwaves this month, weather models suggest. The dry spell is worrying water companies, with Dŵr Cymru pleading with people in Wales to use water sparingly. The Met Office is warning of scorching weather in Wales on Saturday, July 12. Temperatures are predicted to peak at 32C in Wrexham and Denbighshire, and 33C in Monmouthshire, though it will be balmy everywhere. Even more dramatic are night time temperature forecasts. By midnight on Saturday, some north eastern areas of Wales could still be sweltering in the high 20Cs - potentially up to 27C, according to the GFS model. Cheshire could see highs of 29C during the night. The Met Office said: 'The heat will persist into Saturday night, particularly in western and north-western parts of the UK. Overnight temperatures are expected to remain above 20°C in some areas, making for an uncomfortably warm night and potentially disrupting sleep.' Outlier forecasts were modelling another hot spell next weekend (July 19-20), with dramatic temperature peaks higher even than the coming days. However these have since been scaled back, especially in Wales – though it could remain very warm in southern and eastern England, with the heat perhaps spreading as far as east Wales. Instead, all eyes are now on late July, with Scandinavian blocking in place and the possible return of an Azores high. Netweather meteorologist Ian Simpson said there is potential for 'exceptional heat' around the last weekend in July – though probably only briefly and mainly centred on eastern England. With France predicted to be 'especially hot' that week, he said it will 'leave Britain quite prone to the occasional burst of notable heat.... should we pick up a southerly flow pulling in this hot air'. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Some more excitable online forecasters have raised the spectre of 1976, drawing comparisons with an iconic summer that was the hottest in over 350 years and the driest in 200 years. Yet the heat has been different this year. Although June 2025 was the warmest ever recorded in England, and the third warmest in Wales, summer 1976 was characterised the longevity of its hot spell, with multiple locations recording heatwave conditions lasting more than two weeks. Moreover, the heat subsided only gradually. Although Britain is now in its third official heatwave, this is not expected to last more than four days, with cooler conditions expected from Monday (or Tuesday further east). Warmer weather is predicted to build from mid week, peaking next weekend before tailing off again. A similar pattern is currently forecast for the following week, with another burst of heat in parts of the UK, followed again by a dip. In its long-range forecast, the Met Office said: 'Around the turn of the month, there is a signal for perhaps more widely unsettled weather to develop, though the details of this remain uncertain.' The conditions are adding to pressures at Dŵr Cymru, which is expecting up to a 20% increase in demand for water across its network between Friday and Sunday. It suspects more showering, drinking, filling up pools and using sprinklers. Following the driest Spring on record, and with falling reservoir levels, the company announced 'Developing Drought' status for Mid and South Ceredigion along with parts of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Although there are no other areas of concern now, the company is urging people to not be complacent with the supplies available. To keep up with demand, Dŵr Cymru tankers are moving around the network to replenish underground drinking water tanks. Engineers are working flay out to fix leaks (700 per week). Ian Christie, managing director of Water Services, urged everyone to moderate their water use – especially those with garden sprinklers. 'While we will do all that we can, we're asking customers to help their communities by playing their part to avoid wasting water, saving it wherever possible,' he said. 'Garden sprinklers, for example, are one of the biggest consumers of water in the garden as they use on average 1,000 litres of water every hour. This is the equivalent of what a typical family would use inside the house in two days.' The company is also warning people not to swim in unauthorised reservoirs during the warm weather.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Safe drinking water returns to Pembrokeshire village after six-year wait
A Pembrokeshire community has gained access to clean, reliable mains water. The residents had relied on bottled water for years due to an unsafe private supply. The new connection, delivered at no cost to the residents of Barham Road in Trecwn, follows a collaboration between Pembrokeshire County Council's pollution control team, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, and several contractors. Glyn Jones, a resident of Barham Road, said: "Without doubt, if it wasn't for Pembrokeshire County Council getting involved we could still be drinking water that failed the required standard health test. "For one I can't thank enough for sticking with us over the last five or so years, diolch to the team." Residents had relied on bottled water since 2019 after their private supply became discoloured and undrinkable. Investigations revealed corroded pipes and a collapsed section beneath some homes, prompting warnings of a full system failure and the risk of emergency rehousing. Pembrokeshire County Council identified a mains connection as the only viable long-term solution. The project, funded through a successful UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) application by Nathan Miles of the pollution control team, was also supported by a financial contribution from Manhattan Loft (Trecwn) Ltd. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water designed the new network, while contractor Young Bros installed the mains and property connections. PipeworxGB Ltd carried out internal upgrades to meet water regulations. Penfro Consultancy Limited managed the project from concept to completion. Jon Murphy from the council's pollution control team led communications, keeping residents informed and ensuring their concerns were heard by Dŵr Cymru and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Cllr Jacob Williams, Pembrokeshire County Council's cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said: "Access to clean drinking water is a basic necessity, and it's a great shame that this situation persisted for so long. "However, I'm delighted that thanks to this project, the taps at Barham Road will now run clean once again." Cllr Delme Harries, the local member for Bro Gwaun, welcomed the news, saying: "This is really positive news for these residents of Barham Road and will see a big improvement to their living standards. "This project will have a significant impact on the lives of our residents. "Improved drinking water quality will lead to better health outcomes and a higher quality of life for everyone in our community. "I want to thank everyone who supported this project to ensure it came to fruition – and to the residents of Barham Road for their patience and co-operation." The Drinking Water Inspectorate also supported the outcome, stating that a mains connection is the most reliable solution for communities with failing private supplies.
Powys County Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Welsh Water fined £1.35 million for sewage including Powys
A Welsh water company has been fined £1.35 million after it admitted more than 800 breaches of environmental permits to discharge sewage across the country - including locations in Mid Wales. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water must also pay £70,237.70 in court costs after it was brought before Wrexham Magistrates' Court on Thursday (May 15) for sentencing. Some of the locations include Llandrindod Wells in Powys, and coastal towns Tywyn, Pwllheli and Abersoch in nearby Gwynedd. The charges relate to the company's self-monitoring data submitted to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) as part of its 2020 and 2021 annual reports. Due to the volume of non-compliances, the charges were summarised into 18 offences for the court's benefit. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water pleaded guilty to 15 out of the 18 charges at Llandudno Magistrates Court on October 16, last year, before accepting the remainder of the Taken into Consideration (TIC) charges, on December 17. Since 2010, there has been a requirement on water companies to carry out self-monitoring of their effluent discharges from their sewage works and water treatment works. Following the sentencing hearing, a spokesperson for NRW explained that they were alarmed to find that the quality of the information provided in the water company's 2020 annual report had noticeably deteriorated compared to previous years, with over 600 breaches recorded across some 300 sites in Wales and Herefordshire. In interviews, and in their defence in court, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water explained that an internal restructure of the sampling team and IT-related scheduling issues coupled with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were the main factors in the deterioration. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app While the situation had significantly improved by the submission of the 2021 annual report, a number of non-compliances were again identified, albeit these were less in number. NRW added that missing samples and data from the 2020 reporting year meant that NRW was unable to fully assess or respond to any environmental impacts. Siân Williams, Head of Operations from Natural Resources Wales said: 'This case highlights inadequacies in the processes at Dŵr Cymru which led to widespread permit breaches across Wales and over the border during a period of two years. 'While we appreciate the disruption all businesses faced during 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic, we believe the failings shown by Dŵr Cymru were avoidable should better contingency planning have been in place. 'Dŵr Cymru's performance has continued to decline for a number of years now, and this is a stark warning to the company that we will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers to secure the improvements we expect to see.' NRW has downgraded Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water from a four-star (industry leading) company in 2020 to two-star (requires improvement) company in 2022 and 2023 as part of its annual Environmental Performance Assessment.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Water warning as prolonged dry weather hits supply
Drought experts have issued stronger advice on water use in response to record low river Resources Wales said all of Wales is being upgraded from "normal" to "prolonged dry weather" was the driest since 1944, and warm dry conditions returned in May meaning Wales saw 59% of the expected rain for that time of the equates to one of the driest three month equivalent periods on record. NRW's decision was shared with the Wales Drought Liaison Group on group is chaired by the Welsh government and made up of senior decision-makers from NRW, the Met Office, water companies, Public Health Wales, farming unions and local authority is reporting the majority of river flows are currently low or exceptionally low, with dry riverbeds and algal rivers in north and mid Wales are currently classed as having notably low levels, while the Dee and Yscir are at their driest since records began in the 1970s.Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy are reporting some water levels in reservoirs are below where they would usually be at this time of said it fully supports water companies' advice to use water wisely."Such a dry start to the year is causing considerable concern for the health of our ecosystems and habitats, as well as for land management and the agricultural sector," said NRW's Sustainable Water and Nature Manager Rhian Thomas."As such, we have taken the decision to move the whole of Wales into prolonged dry weather status."She said it meant the agency would step up monitoring across Wales and that the Wales Drought Liaison Group would meet regularly to review the status."To ensure water can continue to be supplied without damaging the environment, the public and businesses across Wales are being urged to use water wisely and manage this precious resource," she added.
