Welsh Water sees pollution incidents spike despite £483m spend

The company said it invested £483m last year to “improve services to its customers and communities and to protect the environment”.

However, it also reported 201 sewer flooding incidents, up from 169 the year before, while leaks rose to 251.7 millions litres per day, up from 242.1 million.

The company said it had agreed 145 new environmental permits with NRW to remove more phosphorus from its treated water before it is put back into rivers.

Mr Lyons said: “Our plans have to find the right balance of being financeable, deliverable and affordable for our customers without storing up problems for future generations.

“Whilst there’s still much more to do, we are making good progress against the commitments we’ve made.”