Welsh Labour and UK governments criticised over sewage polluted rivers

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the Welsh Labour & UK governments over new figures showing devastating levels of sewage entering local rivers.

According to data published today, the River Teifi, which forms the boundary between Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, is the 5^th most sewage-polluted river in the UK (up from 9^th last year), despite it being a relatively short river of 75 miles.

Figures released today show that Dwr Cymru released sewage into rivers, lakes and the sea for more than 968,000 hours last year, an increase compared to more than 916,000 hours the year before, despite the public outrage and campaigns by groups like the Liberal Democrats and Surfers Against Sewage.

The River Teifi saw a staggering 2,232 sewage dumps in 2024 – lasting 22,288 hours.

Other local rivers also saw significant amounts of sewage dumping, including:

• The River Solva, polluted by sewage 58 times, lasting 944 hours.
• The River Cleddau, polluted by sewage 953 times, lasting 10,838 hours.
• The River Nevern, polluted by sewage 347 times, lasting 5,181 hours.
• The rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol in Aberystwyth, polluted by sewage 246 times, lasting 1,844 hours.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats, who have been campaigning to clean up Welsh rivers over several years, have stated that the new figures were ‘catastrophic’ for local wildlife and risk damaging tourism and public health.

The Party has stated that the Welsh Government have been ‘asleep at the wheel’, using Dwr Cymru’s position as a so-called ‘non-profit’ and ‘arm’s length’ organisation to avoid proper regulation and accountability.

They have also criticised the previous Conservative UK Government for failing to clamp down on the financial regulation of water companies, with Dwr Cymru having paid out huge bonuses to executives in recent years, despite having one of the worst environmental records of all companies and continuing to charge customers the highest bills in the UK.

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Ceredigion Penfro (‘Ceredigion & Pembrokeshire) Sandra Jervis said:

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have consistently pressed both the UK and Welsh Governments to take meaningful action on this growing environmental crisis. Yet, Welsh Labour has remained asleep at the wheel—using Dŵr Cymru’s status as an arm’s-length body as an excuse to avoid proper regulation and accountability.

“As a result, we’ve seen Dŵr Cymru hike customer bills and hand out ridiculously large bonuses to its executives, all while ranking among the worst water polluters in the UK.

“Our rivers and seas are vital to our wildlife, our culture, and our economy—particularly tourism—and they deserve far better stewardship.

“If elected to the Senedd next year, I will use my voice to continue to hold both water companies and governments to account.”

Adding her comments, Welsh Lib Dem Leader & Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales Jane Dodds said:

“For years, the Conservatives allowed water companies to get away with polluting our beautiful local rivers while paying out massive and undeserved bonuses, all while charging Welsh customers record-breaking prices.

“The Welsh Labour Government must get to grips with this crisis and properly regulate Welsh Water and ensure there are real, enforceable punishments for breaking the rules and damaging our waterways.

“We’ve been pushing them for years on this issue, but they’ve totally failed to even start to get to grips with it.