At this month’s full council meeting, Cllr. Ian Williams (Ind, Oldcastle), asked for an update on sewage discharges.
Local authorities in the southeast of England have worked with Southern Water to install buoys to monitor water quality in real-time. What measures were Bridgend Council taking to reduce the impact of pollution at Porthcawl in particular?
Vale beaches expected to be unfit for swimming in Summer 2024
Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr. John Spanswick (Lab, Brackla West Central), told councillors that up-to-date data showed the situation was worse than it was three years ago.
However, Bridgend Council isn’t a water authority and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) was responsible for overseeing Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water.
Nontheless, Cllr. Spanswick couldn’t defend Welsh Water’s record as they hadn’t been doing anywhere near enough to reduce sewer overflows – which were happening from the Ogmore treatment works as recently as Tuesday.
He warned that bathing waters at Ogmore-by-Sea and Southerndown (in the Vale of Glamorgan) will be unfit for swimming as early as Summer 2024, meaning signs will be put up telling people not to swim there.
A meeting took place with NRW and the Welsh Local Government Association last week. Futher information was requested from NRW on Welsh Water’s actions.
The Chief Executive of Welsh Water has also been invited to make a presentation to councillors at a future full council meeting.
