PRESS RELEASE : 183 sewage pipes in Wales operating without permits [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 21 November 2022.

Figures uncovered by the Welsh Conservatives have revealed that, of the 184 sewage pipes operated by Welsh Water without permits in Welsh riverways, only 1 application has currently been submitted to Natural Resources Wales.

Commenting on the news, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Janet Finch-Saunders MS said:

“While the UK Conservative Government has been leading the way in dealing with water pollution legislation, Labour ministers are, once again, falling far behind.

“For years, Labour ministers have failed to deal with the issue of pollution in Welsh rivers and now we find out that only one application has been submitted for a permit.

“It is clear that NRW is not fit for purpose under Labour’s watch. Understaffed and underfunded, this organisation clearly does not have the power required to protect Welsh waterways.”

Earlier this year, it was revealed that raw sewage has been dumped into Welsh waterways more than 100,000 times in just 12 months.