Welsh Water Releases 56,000 Cubic Metres of Sewage into Conservation Area!
- Welsh Water's Picton pumping station discharged sewage at 80% capacity from July 2022 to February 2024.
- The overflow led to 133 discharges over 647 hours, releasing toxic sewage into the Western Cleddau river.
- Welsh Water has committed to investing £4 billion to improve wastewater management across Wales.
Between July 2022 and February 2024, Welsh Water's Picton pumping station in Pembrokeshire operated at 80% capacity, leading to significant sewage discharges into the Western Cleddau. This mismanagement resulted in the equivalent of 17 tankers of sewage entering the river daily, alarming local campaigners. Investigations by the Cleddau Project found alarming levels of ammonia, indicating that the sewage was toxic to aquatic life. Despite the situation being reported multiple times to Natural Resources Wales, action was delayed, with the pumping station’s upgrades taking an extended time. The upgrades were eventually completed, but the company faced a formal warning for missing deadlines and is under investigation for additional issues. Welsh Water plans to invest £4 billion in improvements across Wales, with £100 million earmarked for Pembrokeshire, pending regulatory approval.