Regulators and companies give evidence to Welsh water quality probe

The Welsh Affairs Committee held the second session in its Water quality in Wales inquiry last week, taking evidence from Ofwat, Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy.

With the regulators, MPs explored the enforcement of existing regulations and what needs to happen to improve water quality, particularly regarding sewage discharges. With the companies, the committee asked about planned investment and wider action.

About 40% of rivers in Wales currently meet the criteria for good ecological status.The committee reported that around a third of all rivers in Wales fail to meet targets on levels of phosphorus, while five of nine Welsh rivers designated as Special Areas of Conservation are failing on phosphorus and excessive nutrients.