Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans believes that any revenue gained from fines imposed on Dwr Cymru should be reinvested in restoring Welsh waterways.

In May, Dŵr Cymru was fined £1.35 million after admitting to 15 charges linked to over 800 water quality monitoring failures at 300 sites in 2020 and 2021. Since 2010, the company has been legally responsible for monitoring its water quality at its treatment plants.

In the Senedd, Mr Evans told Climate Change Secretary, Huw Irranca-Davies: “I'm interested in why the Welsh Government hasn't set up a proper water restoration fund, like they have in England, that guarantees that every penny raised from fines gets reinvested in restoring our waterways and rivers.

“People are fed up of raw sewage in their local waterways, which is making people and pets sick.

“It seems to many people that big water companies just write off the fines and push that cost on to their customers.

“Do you think it's time that we have that fund in Wales to make sure that we protect our waterways and public health across the country?”

Mr Irranca-Davies said the Government, Dŵr Cymru and Hafren Dyfrdwy will be investing an unprecedented amount of money in their infrastructure and improvements to water quality.

He told Mr Evans: “It is a last resort when fines are levied upon companies because what you want companies to do is to perform well. But sometimes, there is a good reason for fines.

“If their performance lags, they should be fined. But it won't inhibit us from continuing our investment in improving water quality.

“We will be holding the toes of the water companies to the fire in delivering outcomes now that they have had a massive uplift in investment in their infrastructure.”