A researcher from the Gateway to Wales Action Group campaign put in a Freedom of Information request to the Drinking Water Inspectorate to find out why Monmouth’s drinking water was under two drinking water notices.

The response to the Freedom of Information Request, dated 6 November 2024, referred to the problems with contaminated drinking water at Monmouth and Court Farm Water Treatment Works.

“This notice was following a taste and odour event in June 2021, in which 73 consumers reported an unusual taste and/or odour downstream of these two works. The company concluded that the cause was a contamination of hydrocarbons and volatile fatty acids on the River Wye although no conclusive pollution source was identified.”

Runoff pollution containing hydrocarbons and volatile fatty acids typically come from urban, industrial and agricultural sources.

The original Notice from the Drinking Water Inspectorate dated October 2023 said that there has been a significant risk of supplying water from Monmouth treatment works and Court Farm treatment works that could constitute a potential danger to human health.

A Welsh Water spokesman said: ““The DWI report makes reference to an isolated incident that happened over three years ago. This isolated event, which led to 73 customers (from over 950,000 supplied) reporting an unusual taste to the water in the Monmouth area. This was fully investigated at the time and we have not seen any recurrence of the issue since.

“There are no current issues with the quality or quantity of drinking water quality in the Monmouthshire area and the DWI report also states ‘drinking water in Wales is of an excellent standard and this is demonstrated through a continuing high standard of 99.98% compliance’.

“As part of our commitment to continue to supply high-quality water to customers we are currently investing £8.4m in the Monmouth area to upgrade water mains and in addition, as part of our £80m drive to improve river water quality in the Wye, we are currently investing £3.1m at Monmouth Wastewater Treatment Works to accommodate growth and reduce phosphorus discharged into the environment.”