Welsh Lib Dems slam water firms as millions of litres leaked daily

WELSH Liberal Democrats have criticised Dŵr Cymru and Hafren Dyfrdwy after new figures revealed widespread water wastage due to leaking infrastructure, with Dŵr Cymru alone losing an average of 251 million litres every day.

Research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows that between 2020/21 and 2022/23, an average of 3 billion litres of water were lost daily across England and Wales — the equivalent of 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Dŵr Cymru was the worst offender, leaking 171 litres per property per day — the highest in England and Wales. Hafren Dyfrdwy, which supplies Montgomeryshire, Wrexham, and parts of Radnorshire, ranked second worst, leaking 154 litres per property per day, or 16.4 million litres in total.

The Liberal Democrats estimate the annual cost of water leakage to customers at around £396 million.

Despite Dŵr Cymru’s not-for-profit model, the party has long raised concerns over executive pay, environmental failings, and high household bills. Water bills in Wales remain the highest in the UK, despite some of the lowest household incomes. Hafren Dyfrdwy bills are set to rise by 32% in 2025, with average charges increasing from £447 to £590.

Apology and acknowledgement of misreporting

In March 2024, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water issued a public apology after it was found to have misreported leakage and per capita consumption figures over a number of years. An Ofwat investigation concluded that the company significantly understated the extent of its water losses, prompting accusations of misleading customers and regulators.

The company admitted to failures in governance and management oversight and agreed to a redress package worth £39.4 million, including a £10 rebate for every customer.

Chief Executive Pete Perry said: “We are very sorry that this happened. We proactively brought this issue to Ofwat’s attention… Our review identified governance and management oversight failures that led to the issues identified which have now been addressed. Achieving the planned reduction in leakage will be challenging, but we have committed a substantial increase in expenditure in this area and strengthened the relevant operational teams to recover performance.”

Welsh Water also pledged to invest an additional £59 million during the current 2020–25 price review period to tackle leakage and reduce consumption.

Ofwat Chief Executive David Black condemned the misreporting: “For five years, Welsh Water misled customers and regulators on its record of tackling leakage and saving water. It is simply indefensible, and that is why we are making Welsh Water pay this £40 million to benefit its customers.”

The findings sparked renewed criticism from campaigners and politicians alike, who say the apology and investment commitments are long overdue and insufficient given the environmental damage and costs to consumers.

Political pressure mounting

Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for the abolition of Ofwat, arguing that the regulator has failed to hold water companies properly to account. They propose the creation of a new, more powerful watchdog.

Their demands include:

• A single social water tariff to protect vulnerable customers
• A ban on executive bonuses at failing water companies
• Stronger environmental oversight from the Welsh Government, particularly regarding Dŵr Cymru

David Chadwick, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said: “It’s scandalous that Dŵr Cymru is wasting millions of litres of water every year, while customers are saddled with sky-high bills. The government cannot sit idly by as water companies exploit the system.

“Ofwat must be replaced with a regulator that will hold these polluters to account. The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for customers who have been taken for granted for far too long.”

Glyn Preston, Senedd candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn and Llanidloes County Councillor, added: “Communities across Gwynedd and Montgomeryshire are being failed by a system that rewards mismanagement and punishes ordinary people.

“When companies like Hafren Dyfrdwy waste millions of litres daily, it’s not only an environmental catastrophe but a betrayal of public trust.

“We need urgent reform to fix our broken water system, protect the environment, and ensure no one is forced to pay through the nose for such poor service.”

Despite recent commitments, campaigners argue that water companies in Wales continue to fall short on both environmental and consumer expectations. Critics say tougher regulation and greater transparency are essential to restore public confidence.

A Welsh Water spokesperson said: “Our performance on leakage when measured per property isn’t a true reflection of the overall situation, due to the sparse population we serve in rural areas and the length of our pipe network.

“Welsh Water is close to the industry average when measured on leakage per kilometre of pipe and this remains a more relevant comparison.

“However, leakage performance is not where we want it to be and we have invested an additional £54m over the past two years above what was planned to identify and reduce leakage as quickly as possible to improve our performance further.

“This has meant that we have made significant improvements in performance, and we expect this to be evident in our figures for 2024/25 that will be released in a few weeks’ time.

“Our aim is to continue this improvement over the next five years where we will reduce leakage by a further 25% with considerable investment planned in pipe replacement and leakage repairs.”

ENTREPRENEURS in north Pembrokeshire are invited to attend a business support drop-in event at Fishguard Town Hall next month.

The session, which takes place quarterly, is supported by PAVS and Futureworks, with Pembrokeshire County Council’s Business Development Team also in attendance. A range of other organisations offering business support will also be present.

The next event takes place on Tuesday, May 13 from 10:00am to 12:00pm.

Established businesses, freelancers, and anyone considering starting a new enterprise are welcome to attend. Topics for discussion include accessing finance, writing a business plan, joining social enterprise networks, and finding the right support at each stage of the business journey.

In addition, Pembrokeshire’s Business Support Team runs regular networking events at the Bridge Innovation Centre in Pembroke Dock on the last Friday of every month from 9:00am to 12:00pm.

A WEST WALES mother’s poignant call for a permanent Pembrokeshire memorial – and sanctuary – in memory of her late daughter has been backed by county planners.

In an application before Pembrokeshire County Council, Emma Thomas, of Ammanford, sought permission for the extension of a forestry track to enable the planting of woodland along with a memorial pond to her late daughter Mia Haf Sahara Thomas Jones at a field off Brynheulog, near Llangolman.

A personal statement by Emma accompanying the application said: “My name is Emma Thomas, and I am setting up the Mia Sahara Sanctuary in memory of my beautiful daughter, Mia, who tragically and unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 16, on April 19, 2023.

“Mia was a very passionate young lady, and throughout her life enjoyed being in the natural environment absorbing everything it had to offer.

“As Mia’s mother, I must do something positive out of something so, so negative.

“As Mia was to inherit a property on her 18th birthday, as a family, we have decided to purchase land out of the proceeds from the sale.  The land is approximately 6.3 acres and lies on the western edge of Llangolman, Pembrokeshire.”

She added: “My aim is to develop the land by placing a wildlife pond to provide a breeding space for frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies as well as a habitat for a host of other creatures from pond skaters to water snails.  The pond will be shallow at one end and will provide areas for birds and a watering hole for hedgehogs.”

Emma said produce grown in existing polytunnels “will be given and shared amongst local charities to support the local population and hopefully a local educational establishment with healthy eating seasonal produce”.

Emma went on to say: “I worked within education before Mia’s health deteriorated at numerous educational establishments internationally.  I have a learnt understanding of the issues faced by individuals that live within Pembrokeshire as a single parent caring for a child with needs.

“There is a need for support for so many individuals and a lack of funding and resources can have detrimental consequences.

“In December 2022 Mia and I decided to set up a charity and Mia wrote her introduction to the Forum in advance.”

Mia, in her own words, explained her reasons for the charity: “I have struggled throughout my life with various of different things…  At the age of just 16, I got an official diagnosis as being Autistic. But that is why we are here to help each other and to thrive with each other with that help/support!  I have also struggled with making/maintaining friendships and hopefully with setting up this forum I could make new friends!

“Also make changes for the better.  Use this charity for a network of people as a safety net to help and inform each other with information that you and others may need…”.

Emma concluded: “I envisage the Mia Sahara Sanctuary to be a place where nature will flourish with new life.  I will meet with representatives from the community and local groups to determine what produce would best support their service users with the aim of working collaboratively for the benefit of the local people.

“Mia is no longer here physically however my love for her fuels me to plan the Mia Sahara Sanctuary and to create something that will benefit future generations within Pembrokeshire, and I have the determination and passion, with your support, to make this a reality.”

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.