The blight of sewage pollution tackled in water shake-up

A new regulator, national plans to upgrade pipes and sewers, and limits on spreading sewage sludge on land are among proposals in a Welsh government shake-up of the nation's water system.

Ministers said the "once-in-a-generation" reforms would help deliver "cleaner rivers, stronger regulation and better accountability".

The changes would take years to implement, require new powers for the Senedd and substantial funding, more than can be raised through customers' bills alone.

Afonydd Cymru, which represents river trusts in Wales, said the proposals provided "a beacon of hope" but urged the government to act quickly.

Announcing the plans at a press conference at Lisvane and Llanishen reservoirs, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it was "time for a fundamental reset".

"Climate and nature emergencies, ageing infrastructure and public concerns about water quality demand decisive action," he said.

It comes after a major review, commissioned in the wake of mounting public anger over water companies' performance, called for oversight of the industry in Wales and England to be completely overhauled.

The UK government set out its response in January, pledging a new water watchdog for England which would oversee inspections without notice and regular MOT-style checks on infrastructure.

Control over water in Wales is largely devolved to Cardiff Bay.

The Welsh government plans includea new standalone body to replace Ofwat in Wales, becoming the "economic regulator and system planner" for water in Wales.

It would support "long-term investment" in infrastructure, taking on a national planning role to upgrade the country's ageing pipes and sewers.

This would deliver "a more integrated and responsive approach to managing water", the government said.

But environmental regulation and oversight of pollution would remain the job of Natural Resources Wales (NRW), marking a difference with plans in England for one big water watchdog.

Getting the new organisation off the drawing board will first require Wales to ask for new powers from the UK government and then pass legislation in the Senedd.

It is not expected to be up and running until the early 2030s.

There are plans to work on a new national water strategy for Wales for the next 25 years, replacing a document published in 2015.

Water companies' ability to self-monitor and report their performance in areas such as minimising pollution will also be reviewed, "recognising there are concerns about the robustness of these systems".

Steps to "provide greater assurance" could include more automation and inspections.

Tougher controls over the spreading of sewage and septic tank sludge to land as fertiliser in farming are also proposed, as are limits on using digestate from anaerobic digestion plants.

Afonydd Cymru said it was "particularly encouraged" by this proposal, with inappropriate spreading of this material among the "chief contributors to high nutrient levels in Welsh rivers" as well as causing "specific, catastrophic incidents".

Chief executive Gail Davies-Walsh said, overall, the government's proposals were welcome, offering "significant potential to effect positive change for rivers".

But she urged ministers to act quickly, saying: "It must be remembered that it is just a consultation at this stage and nothing yet is set in stone".

The "thorny issue" of how the reforms were to be funded was "not resolved either", she said, and "more money will be required than can be raised through water bills".

Wales' Future Generations Commissioner Derek Walker said the announcement needed to be "a wake-up for the water industry".

"Everything must be done to ensure the transition to a new body happens without delay to deliver long-term environmental recovery and affordability, alongside strengthened compliance and regulation," he said.

Chris Walters, Ofwat's interim CEO, said the organisation would support work to develop a new regulatory body and "remain committed to the delivery of our core functions" in the meantime.

A consultation on the government's proposals lasts until early April.

Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on Climate Change, Delyth Jewell MS, said the party had called for a "new Wales-specific regulatory body for water in order to hold water companies to account for their performances and ensure better value for money for customers".

"To create a water system that truly works for the people of Wales, we must see transformative change with the full devolution of powers over water, and certainty that the people of Wales will be prioritised above corporate bonuses," she said.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and the Environment, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, said "simply creating a new water regulator" would not "suddenly see cleaner rivers in Wales".

"A new regulator won't stop sewage spills, won't fix broken infrastructure and won't prevent further water bill rises," she said.

Reform UK Wales said people in Wales would "judge these reforms on their results".

"We need prices to stabilise to ease the cost of living, and we need to support Welsh Water in upgrading our network," it said.

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds MS, added: "We are pleased that through our budget deal we secured £5m this year and £5m next year to strengthen enforcement and regulation.

"That funding is a step in the right direction, but on its own it will not be enough... What matters now is how this money is used."

The Green Party said: "It's been clear for some time Wales needs its own regulator... the plans are also right to say Wales needs full control over its water."