It is simply unacceptable one in five rivers in Wales has been contaminated by sewage.

Dŵr Cymru has been warned that it faces prosecution for its failure to deliver meaningful improvements. Yet the public continues to feel powerless in facing up to this issue, namely the sewage in our waterways. This is a persistent problem. It undermines public confidence in water companies and in the regulatory framework. Local groups such as Save the River Usk in Monmouthshire, Angela Jones among them, they do excellent work, but it’s the Welsh Government and UK Government’s job to do this. I want to praise the work that is being done, but there is a role of government to tackle these issues.

In the Senedd I called for firm steps from the Welsh Government to ensure that the water companies are held accountable for their failures. I appreciate this is something that we will need to work with Westminster Government on, but the public deserves more than mere promises of improvement. They need to see action and, if necessary, stiff penalties imposed on those companies that fail to reach adequate standards time and time again

Plastic pollution, particularly microplastics, complicates the challenge of cleaning up our rivers and our seas. Microplastics, pose a direct threat to people’s health. These particles have been found in human lungs, breast milk and blood. We need improvements in the monitoring and enforcement with regard to water companies when their practices contribute to plastic and microplastic pollution.

There are long-term risks to biodiversity and to public health. Aquatic wildlife living in these areas is impacted. It impacts ecosystems, and in a dangerous way. These threats aren’t unique to wildlife, but have the potential to impact human populations too.

There is a need for Wales to have full control over water resources and sewage. Plaid Cymru has consistently called for the Welsh Government to have these powers, to align legislative competence with our nation’s geographical boundaries.