The Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council has received a response from Dwr Cymru about the recent sewage discharge at Porthcawl.
It follows an incident in August where heavy rainfall caused sewage to be discharged off the coast of Porthcawl, prompting a 48 hour precautionary ‘no swimming’ order to be issued.
Dwr Cymru have confirmed that more than £840m is being invested into wastewater management between now and 2025, and that the company is committed towards mitigating the impact of overflows on beaches and watercourses as well as working with environmental regulators to prioritise investment in areas where there has been the most adverse impact.
The company has also made a commitment on its storm overflows to Welsh Government and has plans in place to invest a further £130m through ‘financial headroom’.
Its Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan, which is currently out for consultation, further sets out how Dwr Cymru intends to work alongside local councils to deal with challenges such as flooding, climate change, removing surface water from the sewer network, improving the environment and more.
The Leader, Cllr Huw David said: “I would like to thank Dwr Cymru for responding to the concerns that we have raised on behalf of local residents.
“They have clarified that this problem has occurred because much of the current drainage system has its origins in the Edwardian or Victorian eras, so some drains that are designed to carry surface water also feed into the foul sewage system.
“This means that during periods where there has been particularly heavy rainfall, the storm overflows may discharge in order to prevent homes and businesses from being flooded.
“While this may have been acceptable back when the system was originally introduced, it is clearly not acceptable now, and Bridgend County Borough Council is committed towards working alongside partners such as Dwr Cymru to find longer-term solutions that will ensure the situation can be addressed for the benefit of local residents and the environment.
“Residents and business owners can play a part in this process by reading about Dwr Cymru’s plans for delivering improvements and meeting future challenges, and by taking part in their public consultation on the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan.
“To find out more, visit www.dwrcymru.com to find out more.”