It was revealed last week that the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has highlighted significant risks associated with the Monmouth treatment works and its potential impact on public health.

The notice issued specifies several strategic actions with set deadlines to identify and confirm solutions to mitigate pollution, pesticides, and taste and odour risks by March 2025 and complete planning, design, and construction of solutions by March 2028 for Monmouth.

The notice requires Dwr Cymru monitor and regularly review trends in consumer contacts in the Monmouth / Trellech water supply zone and investigate any issues regarding taste and odour in those supply zones.

A Welsh Water spokesperson said: “The report makes reference to a document that has been agreed with the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) as a result of the standard process of risk assessment undertaken by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

“This established regulatory process requires us to manage potential future risks and agree a course of action to mitigate them.  The notice document quoted in the article is the outcome of that process which formally sets out the set of actions that we submitted to DWI and agreed to undertake. These actions will lead us to invest and upgrade our water treatment services in the Monmouth area to ensure these potential future risks are managed.

“However, for the avoidance of doubt, we must be clear that there are no current issues with the drinking water in the Monmouth area.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to continue to supply high-quality water to customers we are currently investing £8.4m in the Monmouth area to upgrade our water mains.

“This will see us replace 14.6km of pipes, cleansing 10.3km and abandoning 3.3km, which will benefit more than 5,600 homes and businesses in Monmouth, Redwern, New Mills, Whitebrook, Mitchel Troy, Trellech, Cwmcarvan and the surrounding areas.”

Dwr Cymru themselves identified risks in reports dated July 29, 2022, and March 23, 2023 indicating that the water supply from these works could pose dangers to human health due to potential contamination from taste, odour, pesticides, and pollution.