River Tawe is One of the Most Sewage-Filled in the UK
The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe David Chadwick has called today for a new Blue Flag status to protect rivers from pollution, as analysis by the Liberal Democrats reveals the River Tawe is the tenth worst-hit river in England and Wales for sewage dumping.
Last year sewage was dumped into the River Tawe for over 22,700 hours with an astonishing 2,592 spills in total.
Across the UK, sewage was dumped into England and Wales’ rivers for a shocking 4.5 million hours last year, with 559,546 sewage spills in total. This is equivalent to an average of over 1,500 sewage dumps into rivers every single day.
Other Welsh Rivers in the top 10 worst hit include the River Teifi in Ceredigion and River Severn in North Powys.
David Chadwick, the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe at the next General Election has called for a new Blue Flag status for rivers to help protect the natural environment of waterways like the Severn.
Under the Lib Dem proposals, rivers could be designated with the special status to protect them from pollution, including water companies discharging sewage into them. This would also give river swimmers the knowledge that certain environmental standards were being met, meaning they could swim in them without fear of getting sick. Water companies that continued to dump their sewage into Blue Flag rivers would face punitive fines.
Commenting David Chadwick said:
“I grew up swimming and paddling in rivers during the summer. I know just how much the future of the River Tawe and others like the Wye and Usk means to my community and to those across the entire Constituency and I don’t want to see future generations deprived of the same opportunities I had.
“Yet both the UK Conservative Government and Welsh Labour Government are utterly failing to take this issue with the seriousness it deserves.
“Our natural environment is so important here in Wales, not just because of the extraordinary wildlife that can be found, but also because the tourist industry is a massive part of the local economy.
“It is an environmental scandal and both Conservative and Labour Ministers are letting water companies get away with it.
“The public is rightly furious that their local rivers are being spoiled while water company bosses line their pockets with big bonuses.
“We urgently need a new Blue Flag status to protect our rivers, an end to excessive bonuses and more punitive fines for water companies that continue to pump their filthy sewage into them.”
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