Pressure mounts on Welsh Water following major sewage leak in Tenby
Pressure is being put on Welsh Water to sort out Tenby's main sewage pipe after a recent leak almost resulted in a major pollution disaster over the summer holidays.
A pollution alert was issued on July 1 for Tenby's South, Castle, North and Penally beaches after the rising main pipe burst at the Wastewater Treatment Works in Gumfreston. As a result, raw sewage drained into the River Ritec, emptying into the sea off South Beach via the Ritec Culvert which is approximately 300 metres from the shoreline.
Now Dwr Cymru's managing director of Wastewater, Steve Wilson, has stressed that Tenby should be 'seen as a special case'.
Dwr Cymru planned to install a new rising main - which is the main pipe carrying raw sewage from the town via the pumping station at the Salterns to the Wastewater Treatment Works at Gumfreston - in its proposed work programme for 2025-30. The cost of the scheme would have totalled £3.7m, however the plans were initially rejected by the financial regulator, OFWAT.
"OFWAT have simply got this one wrong," said Tenby town councillor Duncan Whitehurst, who is also leader of the Clean Seas Working group.
"Any future bursts from the rising main could have catastrophic effects on the environment. As one of Wales' premier tourist destinations, Dwr Cymru must take decisive action before the rising main bursts again.We will now be putting pressure on them to reverse their decision."
The OFWAT decision will be discussed by Welsh Government ministers next Thursday, August 15, when Dwr Cymru will make a special case for replacing Tenby's rising main, however the final judgement isn't expected to be made until December.
Extra pipeline monitors are now being put in place to ensure that any anomalies are dealt with as soon as they are detected.
Pressure mounts on Welsh Water following major sewage leak in Tenby
Pressure is being put on Welsh Water to sort out Tenby's main sewage pipe after a recent leak almost resulted in a major pollution disaster over the summer holidays.
A pollution alert was issued on July 1 for Tenby's South, Castle, North and Penally beaches after the rising main pipe burst at the Wastewater Treatment Works in Gumfreston. As a result, raw sewage drained into the River Ritec, emptying into the sea off South Beach via the Ritec Culvert which is approximately 300 metres from the shoreline.
Now Dwr Cymru's managing director of Wastewater, Steve Wilson, has stressed that Tenby should be 'seen as a special case'.
Dwr Cymru planned to install a new rising main - which is the main pipe carrying raw sewage from the town via the pumping station at the Salterns to the Wastewater Treatment Works at Gumfreston - in its proposed work programme for 2025-30. The cost of the scheme would have totalled £3.7m, however the plans were initially rejected by the financial regulator, OFWAT.
"OFWAT have simply got this one wrong," said Tenby town councillor Duncan Whitehurst, who is also leader of the Clean Seas Working group.
"Any future bursts from the rising main could have catastrophic effects on the environment. As one of Wales' premier tourist destinations, Dwr Cymru must take decisive action before the rising main bursts again.We will now be putting pressure on them to reverse their decision."
The OFWAT decision will be discussed by Welsh Government ministers next Thursday, August 15, when Dwr Cymru will make a special case for replacing Tenby's rising main, however the final judgement isn't expected to be made until December.
Extra pipeline monitors are now being put in place to ensure that any anomalies are dealt with as soon as they are detected.