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News

Call for Welsh Water meeting with councillors after grim pollution figures

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A CALL for Welsh Water to explain what it is doing to tackle pollution in west Wales will be heard by Pembrokeshire councillors next week.

Last month, a Welsh Liberal Democrat analysis of sewage dumping statistics released by Welsh Water/Dŵr Cymru says it paint a grim picture for west Wales, with Ceredigion, Preseli Pembrokeshire, and eastern Carmarthenshire all being in the top 10 constituencies in the UK for sewage dumping.

Welsh Liberal Democrats say the figures for West Wales show Ceredigion polluted by sewage 3,681 times in 2022, lasting 30,817 hours.

Neighbouring Preseli Pembrokeshire fared even worse, being polluted by sewage 5,003 times in 2022, lasting 45,902 hours, while Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire was polluted by sewage 3,563 times in 2022 – lasting 26,132 hours.

The River Teifi is also ranked the ninth most sewage polluted in the entire UK with sewage being dumped in the river for 11,801 hours last year, Welsh Liberal Democrats say.

At the May 11 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s full council, Liberal Democrat councillor Alistair Cameron will ask: “Discharge of untreated sewerage is a growing concern around Pembrokeshire’s coast and rivers.

“Please could the leader or appropriate cabinet member arrange a seminar for all members with Dwr Cymru / Welsh Water so that they can explain what they are doing to reduce the discharge of untreated sewerage?”

A spokesman for Welsh Water responded to the analysis last month: “We take our responsibility for protecting the environment seriously but understand the real concerns there are regarding the operation of storm overflows and can assure our customers that this is something we are listening to them about.

“With monitors now on over 99.5 per cent of our overflows, we are able to provide one of the most comprehensive reports on how our storm overflows perform. We are always open with this information by publishing it on our website and report the number of spills to our environmental regulators.

“We also provide real time spill information for key bathing waters to interested bodies, including Surfers Against Sewage and Rivers Trust.

“Our data for 2022 shows that we saw a 12 per cent reduction in the average number of storm releases per storm overflow compared 2021, from 43.5 to 38.3; and a 25 per cent reduction in total spill duration in 2022, from 807512 hrs to 602987.5 hrs.

“While there has been a reduction, which in part is due to the investment work we are undertaking to reduce spills, the reduction has also been influenced by the dry weather we saw last year.

“The total removal of combined storm overflows from our system is unaffordable and would take decades and therefore is not an option but what is in our control is the ability to target investment to CSOs [Combined Storm Overflows] which have the biggest environmental impact.

“That is why we are investing significantly to improve CSOs with £140m being invested between 2020-2025 and a further £420m planned from 2025 to 2030.”

Crime

Pembroke Dock man to be sentenced for assaulting police officers

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A PEMBROKE DOCK man is due to be sentenced on Monday (Mar 31) after admitting to assaulting three police officers and resisting arrest during incidents earlier this month.

Ashley Rickard, aged 27, of Elizabeth Court, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to four offences when he appeared at court on March 17. Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

The court heard that on March 15, Rickard assaulted PC Morse in Pembroke Dock while the officer was carrying out his duties as an emergency worker. He also assaulted PC Walker and resisted two other officers, PC Cranmer and PC Kendall, during the same incident in Milford Haven.

All of the offences are understood to have taken place on the same day and involved Rickard obstructing and assaulting officers during the course of their work.

Rickard is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court at 10:00am on Monday for sentencing. The offences carry a maximum penalty of up to 12 months in prison or an unlimited fine.

The Herald will report the outcome of the case following the hearing.

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Crime

Milford Haven man faces court hearing for assault on three police officers

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A MILFORD HAVEN man is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Mar 31) facing multiple charges, including the assault of three emergency workers and possession of an offensive weapon.

Adam Williams, 37, of Richard John Road, is facing charges relating to an incident on March 16 in which he is accused of possessing a craft knife in a public place without lawful authority, contrary to the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.

Williams is also charged with three counts of assaulting emergency workers—Police Sergeant 408 Benbow, PC 944 Lee, and PC 764 Mycroft—who were reportedly acting in the course of their duties at the time of the incident.

In addition, Williams is facing a charge of using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance, said to have occurred on Richard John Road on the same date.

The case was adjourned earlier this month for a reports to be prepared.

Williams is expected to return to court at 10:00am on Monday.

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Business

Tree-mendous work helping to improve the condition of our rivers

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OVER 24,000 trees have been planted along the banks of four south Wales rivers to help reduce nutrient pollution, improve water quality and help protect nature.

The Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Four Rivers for LIFE project has been busy this tree planting season on the Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau and Usk Rivers.

In partnership with organisations like the National Trust, West Wales Rivers Trust, County Councils and contractors a total of 24,160 native trees have been planted with the aim of reducing nutrient pollution, improving water quality and helping to protect nature.

The trees will soak up excess nutrients from agricultural land run off, improve downstream water quality and provide habitat for wildlife.

The corridors of trees, averaging 10metres in width, act as buffer strips between farmland and the river and have been planted on land that has been fenced to create riparian strips.

Robert Thomas, Four Rivers for LIFE Land Management Officer said: “As the trees mature they will act as an important filter, reducing the amount of excess nutrients reaching the rivers, helping to improve the overall condition of these special rivers.”

As well as providing benefits to the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) river, in time as the trees mature and grow, they will stabilise riverbanks, reduce erosion and soil loss to the river, provide shelter for livestock and shade the river, keeping the water cool for fish.

Simon Rose, Woodland Project Ranger at National Trust Brecon Beacons said: “We have been delighted to work alongside NRW’s Four Rivers for LIFE team and the Woodland Trust at Ty Mawr Farm. This collaborative effort exemplifies the very objectives we seek to achieve through ongoing engagement with volunteer and corporate groups, students from Black Mountains College, and staff from similar organisations on team-building days.”

“Together, we are planting trees and hedgerows that will provide essential food sources and create connected woodlands, fostering the growth of wildlife and the flourishing of habitats.”

The Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau and Usk Rivers are classed as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), meaning they are of international importance for the wildlife and plants that make them home, such as salmon, lamprey, shad, otters and water crowfoot.

The Four Rivers for LIFE Project is funded by the EU LIFE Programme with support from Welsh Government and Welsh Water.

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