BBC News Science and Environment
Burry Inlet sewage European court case
looms
By Iolo ap Dafydd BBC Wales environment correspondent
A court case is looming over the quantity of sewage and waste water discharged into the sea off west
Wales.
Overflow pipes into the sea and rivers are used to help stop flooding but the discharges are a problem for some
living near the Burry Inlet, Llanelli.
Welsh Water said it was investing more in improvements from its profits.
But the UK government has been referred to the European Court of Justice for failing to ensure authorities in
the UK treat urban waste water adequately.
Excessive spills from storm overflow pipes is affecting the Llanelli and Gowerton areas.
Occasionally, the stench and flooding from sewage leads to residents' complaints.
Image
copyright Otto Herschan/Getty Image caption Britain's sewers date back 150 years
The problems stem from our Victorian sewers, engineering marvels for the time, but now out of date.
The pipes were designed to mix both sewage and rainwater but now with more housing developments and
heavier storm waters from climate change there is more pressure than they can cope with.
Welsh Water has special overflow pipes - 3,000 around Wales - which act as relief valves to deal with the extra
sewage and rainwater from gutters, drains and roads.
But these go straight into rivers and the sea.
Burry Inlet and Loughor Estuary
Special protected area
2,200
hectares of saltmarsh - largest continuous area in Wales
20,000
waterfowl are supported


13,590 oystercatchers
35,000 wildbirds spend winter including curlew, godwit and shelduck
Joint Nature Conservation Committee In the case of the Burry Inlet there are 14 overflow pipes which
discharge into an area which is supposed to be protected by UK and European Union laws.
The special conservation area includes salt marshes and a habitat for tens of thousands of wild birds during the
winter. The local cockling industry has also been hit but Welsh Water claims this is not due to their discharges.
Now cases of sewage floating out to sea has grabbed the attention of EU officials and the UK has been asked
to explain why it is failing to deal with urban waste water in 17 locations around its coast.
Llanelli councillor Bill Thomas has been battling the problem for over two decades.
"They're discharging into a sensitive body of water and nobody's dealt with that problem," he said. "You're not
allowed to do that and under the directive it's illegal."
Image copyright Surfers Against Sewage Image caption Campaigners want limits to the number of sewer
overflow discharges
Welsh Water is responsible for more than 18,500 miles (29,700km) of sewers and 800 sewage treatment
works.
It said it complies with all its legal permits outlined by Europe and is also aiming to drastically reduce the
number of discharges in the Burry inlet area by 2020.
Steve Wilson, waste water services manager, said it was about striking a balance between investing in
improvements and keeping bills down.
He said £70m was being spent in the Swansea and Llanelli areas alone.
"We're going to be investing this five year period and on for the next 40-odd years to be able to 'climate
change-proof' our network to the latest modern standards."
Mr Wilson apologised for smells from the Swansea water treatment works but he said £1m had been
spent on odour control as part of its £13m on expansion.
He promised to get rid of the problem "within weeks".
Image copyright Google Maps Image caption Map including the water treatment works for the area
Llanelli MP Nia Griffith is aware of worries over new houses being built on flood plains but argues the real
issue is regulation.
'Fall short'
Natural Resources Wales said it had worked closely with Welsh Water to ensure it had sufficient capacity for
future housing developments in Carmarthenshire.
It also had a caseload of 10 prosecutions and 14 cautions against Welsh Water since April 2013.
Huwel Manley, operations manager, said it took action when Welsh Water "fall short of what's required" but it
was also working with them on ground breaking projects to improve the sewage system.
This includes £15m in parts of Llanelli to separate rainwater from the sewers, soak-away gardens and areas to
"hold" flood water.
Reference
BBC (2015) Burry Inlet sewage European court case looms ‘http://www.bbc.co.uk accessed
12/11/2015