Welsh Water has been downgraded for the second year running after 89 pollution incidents last year. The not-for-profit water company - which came under fire after its boss was awarded £232,000 in bonuses - said it was “disappointed” to have been downgraded and said it recognised its performance is “not where we want it to be”.
The number of pollution incidents caused by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water rose by 9% in 2022, including five with “high or significant” impacts. As a result Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the country’s environmental regulator, has downgraded Welsh Water's performance to a two-star rating, meaning the company “requires improvement”.
The company also failed to make improvements to the number of incidents self-reported to NRW, falling to 65%, a decrease of 7% from 2021. Water companies are expected to self-report incidents to NRW before others do. Without a rapid response, the impact of pollution can escalate and the opportunity for mitigation measures can be lost.
