Welsh Water Criticized for Price Increases While Paying Out Massive Bonuses

Welsh Water has come under fire from the Welsh Liberal Democrats after this week after announcing a £14 rise in their water bills for the next year.

The increase means that the average bills for the ‘not-for-profit’ will reach £499 a year – the second highest in Wales and England.

Customers of Hafren Dyfrdwy in northeast Wales will see average bills rise by £41 to £372 a year.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated it is insulting that Welsh Water continues to market itself as a non-profit when it continues to pay out large bonuses to executives and fails to address the sewage dumping crisis all while charging customers more.

Welsh Water paid three executives bonuses worth £931,000 between 2020-2021. The bosses of Severn Trent (who own Hafren Dyfrdwy) were awarded bonuses of £5.56 million.

During the same period, Welsh Water dumped raw sewage into Welsh rivers 100,000 times.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have been calling on the Welsh Labour Government and UK Conservative Government to place a ban on the bonuses of water company bosses until the sewage dumping crisis is cleaned up, with funds being redirected into improving infrastructure.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said:

“It is outrageous that Welsh Water is increasing customer bills while continuing to pay out large executive bonuses, all while claiming to be a ‘non-profit’.

“Meanwhile water companies continue to dump raw sewage into our pristine rivers, lakes and seas with both the Welsh Labour Government and UK Conservative Government failing to take action.

“Rivers like the Wye, Teifi and Usk are in dire straits, this cannot continue. There needs to be an end to this duplicity.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to call for a ban on water company bonuses and for funds to be redirected into improving infrastructure. The point of a non-profit should be that this is what happens already.”