A scheme that rewards farmers for reducing the amount of polluting run-off which washes from fields into rivers should be considered, a Welsh Water director has said. Steve Wilson said he believed the idea had merit and that it would be brought up at this month's Royal Welsh Show as part of a discussion about problematic river catchment areas where new developments are on hold.
Mr Wilson also felt that planning controls should be considered to make it harder for householders to Tarmac over their front gardens, which contributes to more surface water entering the waste water network. He was speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of a consultation about a new Welsh Water drainage and wastewater management plan - a long-term strategy to reduce the amount of times wastewater and sewage ends up in rivers and the sea. Councils and other organisations which own drains will be expected to participate fully.
Mr Wilson, Welsh Water's managing director of waste water services, said combined storm overflow pipes which sent surface water and sewage into rivers and the sea were operating "far more frequently" than they would like. "Pressure is quite rightly on water companies to sort it out," he said. You can get more environment news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
