Welsh Water call for “Less concrete, more nature” to drive river improvements

A reliance on concrete or ‘grey’ systems to increase storm storage or increase wastewater treatment has resulted in high carbon and chemical solutions that aren’t good for the long-term health of rivers and the wider environment.

At an event organised by Dŵr Cymru, Wildlife Trusts Wales and Afonydd Cymru, there will be a call for more ‘green’ or nature-based solutions projects to improve water quality and deliver more for the environment. 

Dŵr Cymru has delivered several collaborative and nature-based projects over recent years with plans for more, including a wetland and catchment intervention in the River Clwyd in North Wales, to remove phosphorous from the Tremeirchion wastewater treatment works.

The green-solution project is the first of its kind in Wales using wetlands for wastewater treatment. The project will see in excess of 30,000 wetland plants planted, improving water quality within the Clwyd, enhancing biodiversity and reducing carbon impact. 

Whilst green schemes can be more costly than traditional concrete solutions, they deliver a climate resilient solution which is fit for the long-term benefit of the environment.

More than 60 charities, partners and organisations across Wales, Hereford and Chester will come together for the event at the Royal College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

The event’s focus will be on delivering improvements for nature including reducing the impact of storm overflows, identifying urban drainage solutions, improving ecosystem resilience and restoring rivers by reducing phosphorus input. 

Speakers include Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister of Wales and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Owen Derbyshire CEO of Keep Wales Tidy and panellists Gail Davies Walsh CEO of Afonydd Cymru and Rachel Sharp from Wildlife Trusts Wales. 

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies said: “Improving the health of our rivers is one of the defining environmental challenges we face – and it’s clear that the old ways alone won’t deliver the change we need.  

“Nature-based solutions offer a powerful, climate-resilient alternative to traditional infrastructure, and they also restore biodiversity and support our communities. I welcome Dŵr Cymru’s commitment to working in partnership with others across Wales to put nature at the heart of how we care for our rivers. It’s only by working together, across sectors and across boundaries, that we’ll secure the clean, healthy rivers our environment and future generations deserve.”

Jenny Grubb, Environment Advisor and Stakeholder Manager for Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water said: “Welsh Water is investing £2.5bn over the next five years on projects to improve the environment.  Action from one sector won’t be enough to improve our rivers, and the solutions we propose must be future proof and climate resilient. We are keen to find partnership projects and to work with organisations that are delivering environmental improvements. We hope that our investment will be boosted by working with others to ensure that river water quality continues to improve to the standard that we all want to see.”

Rachel Sharp, CEO of Wildlife Trusts Wales said: “In our changing climate, it's important that we use all tools available to us to adapt to more severe weather events be they flooding or drought. Today is all about Dwr Cymru working with organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts to examine the role of nature-based solutions to climate change. Nature is a proven, scalable and importantly for billpayers, affordable way to absorb the impacts of climate change. Restoring upland peat bogs, planting trees and creating wetlands all help to absorb water that can reduce flooding whilst slowly being released in times of drought. Today is all about designing win-win solutions for people and nature.”

Gail Davies Walsh, CEO of Afonydd Cymru said: “Afonydd Cymru and the regional rivers trust are very pleased to be part of this Welsh Water collaborative event. Organisations from all sectors must work together to find, design and deliver realistic long-term solutions to the problems affecting rivers caused by climate change and human interaction. We are very much looking forward to working with some new partners, to co-design in a new innovative way to deliver the very best possible outcomes for our rivers and communities in Wales.  There is considerable opportunity to use nature-based solutions at a catchment scale in Wales, to secure long-term clean and healthy rivers.”