WATER companies have been illegally dumping untreated sewage into rivers across England and Wales, an investigation has found.

The investigation, carried out by BBC Panorama, gathered data from 10 water companies in England and Wales through environmental information requests. They were each asked for information on a handful of sewage works.

The data suggests seven of the 10 companies had treatment works that were breaching their permits by dumping sewage before they were treating the specified volumes.

One of the worst offenders was the not-for-profit company, Welsh Water. The data shows three of its treatment works were in breach of their permits.

Its Aberbaiden plant illegally dumped untreated sewage into the River Usk on 12 consecutive days in December.

The Usk is supposed to be a protected river, as it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

Reacting to he news, the Welsh Conservative spokesperson for the environment, Janet Finch-Saunders, said: “Reports that Welsh Water’s Aberbaiden plant illegally dumped untreated sewage into the River Usk – a Site of Special Scientific Interest – on 12 consecutive days in December last year is shocking.

“Under Labour’s watch, the Welsh environment has been of little concern and this once again demonstrates that the regulator, Natural Resources Wales, is not fit for purpose.

“Welsh Conservatives would scrap NRW and replace it with a more effective body, and instead of picking on small family farms with the introduction of draconian NVZ legislation, would tackle the real large-scale polluters such as Welsh Water.”