The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the Welsh Labour and UK Governments over new figures showing devastating levels of sewage entering local rivers.
According to data published, the River Teifi, which forms the boundary between Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, is the 5th most sewage-polluted river in the UK (up from 9th last year), despite it being a relatively short river of 75 miles.
Figures released show that Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water 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.
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.
According to data published, the River Teifi, which forms the boundary between Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, is the 5th most sewage-polluted river in the UK (up from 9th last year), despite it being a relatively short river of 75 miles.
Figures released show that Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water 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.
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.
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NewsTranscript
00:00It's not quite the weather for a swim just yet, but try telling that to this man on his way back from a dip in Poth Coal today.
00:07As summer approaches, more will surely join him, as long as the waters are clean enough, that is.
00:13It is really important that, you know, if you are with your family, that you feel safe to go into the water
00:19and that, you know, you don't have any kind of hesitation because that can put you off.
00:24I used to swim a lot, but the last time I went swimming was, like, last summer in Newton Beach, which is another beach in Poth Coal.
00:30And I just sort of, I was swimming around. I was sort of aware that it, like, you know, sometimes it's so unclean.
00:36They tell people not to swim. So I just, it kind of took the fun out of it a bit.
00:40We should be going in there without even having to think that there's any risks involved, you know, and sadly that's being spoiled.
00:45Figures from last year showed that both Welsh Water and Hafren Dhyfrdwy spent more time releasing sewage into our waterways and seas in Wales
00:53than they had the previous year. In fact, Welsh Water's figures showed a sewage discharge happening, on average, once every five minutes.
01:03That situation is unacceptable, say campaigners.
01:06At the moment, Welsh Water have set the least stretching targets in the UK for reducing the number of spills per CSO,
01:14that's a combined sewage overflow.
01:16They've set themselves a target of reducing their spills down to 30 spills per CSO.
01:22Now, the UK average is 21. So come on, Welsh Water. This is showing a real lack of ambition as far as we're concerned.
01:28Welsh Water say the country's size and geography is a factor here, but that they are investing £2.5 billion over the next five years to improve the environment.
01:38We're working really hard to reduce the number of storm overflows, but we need to recognise our starting point is far worse than many other parts of the UK.
01:47We've got more combined sewers in Wales. We've got more rainfall which falls on our land, and we've got 2,300 storm overflows in our country that we have to tackle.
02:00Now, we've only got less than 5% of the UK's population to pay the bills here.
02:07Natural Resources Wales say they're monitoring to make sure those improvements happen for the benefit of all who use our rivers, lakes and seas in Wales.