Public Statement
Ogmore Catchment Sewage Discharges
2 March 2026

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​Over the past three years, A Peace for Nature has undertaken sustained engagement and detailed analysis relating to sewage discharges within the Ogmore catchment.

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This work has involved thousands of hours of volunteer time to request, analyse and understand complex environmental data and to continue engaging constructively with the relevant authorities.

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It has included the submission of more than 160 Environmental Information Regulations requests, containing over 450 individual questions, to Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Government. We have also submitted additional formal information requests where necessary.

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Throughout this period, we have attended multiple catchment meetings focused on sewage pollution and have engaged directly with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies. We have also maintained dialogue with Chris Elmore MP, Kanishka Narayan MP, Jane Hutt MS and Sarah MurphyMS.

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Engagement has extended beyond government to include industry representatives such as Hydro Industries, national environmental charities including Keep Wales Tidy and Afonydd Cymru, alongside other third sector organisations, volunteer groups and local community groups across the catchment.

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Our engagement has spanned successive leadership teams. At Natural Resources Wales this has included dialogue during the tenure of former Chief Executive Clare Pillman and current Chief Executive Ceri Davies. At Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water our correspondence has taken place under the leadership of former Chief Executive Peter Perry, current Chief Executive Roch Cheroux and Managing Director of Wastewater Services Steve Wilson.

Our objective has remained consistent: to understand, in evidence-based terms, what is being discharged into our rivers and how those discharges are regulated.

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Using operator and regulator data, including Event Duration Monitoring records and permit information, we have calculated an estimated 210 billion litres of untreated sewage discharged into the Ogmore catchment over the past nine years. That volume is equivalent to approximately 75% of Lake Windermere.

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This is a substantial quantity of untreated sewage discharged into our rivers. The full ecological impact is not yet fully understood. The impact on our community, however, is clear.

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Data provided by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water indicates that, within the Ogmore catchment, E. coli concentrations associated with certain discharge events have exceeded 100,000 colony forming units per 100ml.

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For context, statutory bathing water classifications under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 apply the following E. coli thresholds:

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For coastal waters such as Ogmore-by-Sea:
• Excellent: 250 cfu per 100ml
• Good: 500 cfu per 100ml
• Sufficient: 500 cfu per 100ml

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For inland waters such as rivers and lakes:
• Excellent: 500 cfu per 100ml
• Good: 1,000 cfu per 100ml
• Sufficient: 900 cfu per 100ml

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Levels exceeding 100,000 cfu per 100ml are therefore orders of magnitude above bathing water classification thresholds.

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During the 2024 leak at the wastewater treatment works, E. coli readings exceeded 40,000 cfu per 100ml during the bathing season. The bathing water was subsequently subject to an abnormal situation and public health advice was issued advising against swimming.

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Reports submitted via Surfers Against Sewage during that period recorded cases of gastrointestinal illness in the area. While causation cannot be determined without formal clinical investigation, the timing of elevated bacterial readings and reported illness understandably heightened community concern.

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The Ogmore bathing water has failed to meet classification standards for three consecutive years. Residents have experienced repeated poor classification, formal advice from the local authority not to swim at Ogmore-by-Sea and ongoing uncertainty about river conditions.

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We recognise that duration-based calculations rely on assumptions. However, volumetric measurement is not used for storm overflow discharges. As no volume data is recorded or reported, duration and flow modelling is the only method available for estimating cumulative discharge volumes.

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Our analysis has also identified significant periods of monitoring downtime. In 2024 alone, 558 days of accumulated Event Duration Monitoring data were missing across the catchment.

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Natural Resources Wales’ own published enforcement data shows that, over a recent four-year period, more than 250 investigations were undertaken in relation to Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. During that period, approximately 1% of cases resulted in prosecution. The majority of investigations concluded with no further action, warnings or alternative enforcement outcomes. These figures raise important questions about regulatory approach, enforcement thresholds and the application of discretion in cases involving sewage pollution.

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We recently requested executive-level meetings with the Chief Executive of Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Government, including Huw Irranca-Davies MS, to discuss our analysis and concerns. Those requests were declined. However, we continue to seek constructive engagement and hope that continued dialogue through our local MPs will lead to these discussions taking place soon.

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Natural Resources Wales has also refused to provide certain information relating to sewage investigations within the catchment, stating that disclosure would not be in the public interest. We have formally requested a review of that decision.

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We acknowledge that Welsh Government has recently invested more than £700,000 to Natural Resources Wales to support two additional staff investigating sewage pollution issues in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is essential that this work is delivered transparently and with meaningful community involvement.

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Alongside policy engagement, we remain active on the ground. Volunteers working with A Peace for Nature have removed more than 68 tonnes of waste from the Ogmore River and coastline over the past three years. Our next beach clean will take place on 29 March at Ogmore-by-Sea Beach from 10am to 12pm and residents are warmly invited to take part.

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We also acknowledge the tremendous work of the WASP group, whose efforts have recently been reflected in Channel 4’s docudrama Dirty Business. The programme highlights the complexity of understanding sewage pollution at scale and the realities of engaging with regulators and the water industry and the tragic impacts on our communities. The experiences portrayed by Prof Peter Hammond and Ash Smith resonate with many of the challenges we have faced over the past three years.

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Communities deserve to understand what is entering their rivers. Public confidence depends on transparency, reliable monitoring and accountable regulation.

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We thank ENDS Report for today's article about the issues raised above within the Ogmore catchment. Independent environmental journalism plays an important role in informing public understanding of complex regulatory issues. 

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Download the article in full here:

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​​​​​​​For further information or media enquiries, please contact:​

info@apeacefornature.org.uk