The Town Council has been in dialogue with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water for several months, on multiple issues regarding the sewerage infrastructure in Newport including the block on the development of housing.

After many months we have finally received the following reply from DCWW which we post unedited for your information. The Council has yet to formally respond. When we do we will post it here.

Request for information 

We write further to your request for information dated 1^st March 2026, which we have been considering under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. 

Firstly, we would like to apologise for the delay in responding to you. This is not the service we aim to provide but thank you for your patience and understanding whilst we collated the information for you. 

We can confirm that Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) does hold the information you have requested as follows: 

Qu. 1 
Why are DCWW blocking development of housing when there is no evidence that significant increased housing/population contributes to CSO spills? Do you have evidence that increased housing/population cause spills? If so, please let us know.  
We are not suggesting that housing development is the sole cause of combined sewer overflow (CSO) operating, nor that every individual development will directly result in additional spills. CSO activations are influenced by a range of factors including rainfall intensity, groundwater infiltration, sewer network condition, existing hydraulic capacity, and the cumulative volume of wastewater entering the system. 

However, it is established that an increase in population generally results in an increase in foul wastewater flows entering the sewerage network. Where wastewater treatment works and associated sewerage infrastructure are already operating at, or close to, their available environmental or hydraulic capacity, additional flows from new development can contribute to capacity constraints and increase the risk of permit non-compliance or deterioration in environmental performance. 

The issue is therefore not whether a particular development can be directly linked to a specific CSO spill event, but whether the receiving sewerage and treatment systems have sufficient capacity to accommodate additional loading whilst continuing to comply with regulatory obligations and environmental standards. 

Accordingly, the concern is based on the cumulative impact of additional wastewater generated by growth on constrained sewerage infrastructure, rather than an assertion that housing growth alone is responsible for CSO spills. 

Qu. 2 
What are you doing to prevent rainwater ingress into the sewerage system that will have a measurable effect? The Wet Well to Dry Well proposed conversion and consequent increase in capacity, together with the upgrade in pumps should have a positive effect on the reduction of CSO spills.  

DCWW have done much to remove rainwater and storm flows from this catchment under the spill issues associated with Newport Cwm Sewage Pumping Station (SPS) related pressures, the remaining surface water able to get into the system is proving hard to find and remove.  

Our investigations are as follows: 

• CCTV survey of approx. 6100m of sewer network has been attempted in the catchment to try and identify infiltration into the system. 

• 7 clear sources of infiltration were identified, and all subsequent repairs have now been completed – 4X Chamber sealing, 2x Patch liner and one abandonment of connection in stream – Repairs undertaken between Oct 22 and Feb 23. 

• Desilting of the main sewer has also been undertaken in various parts of the catchment – approx. 870m in total. 

• 98M of 300mm Sewer lined to prevent ingress from watercourse – June 2024 

• Significant work has already been carried out to identify and remove sources of infiltration and inflow in this catchment. Based on the information currently available, there is limited scope to remove any further infiltration and inflow from the network. As a result, no additional network investigations are currently planned. 

Qu. 3 
What are the projected % increases in capacity when wet and dry wells are combined and what is the present and predicted Cubic Metre capacity?  

Please see below: 

Note:    #1 The storm volume gained cannot be used for new ‘Foul only’ development, the additional Storm storage is already needed to reduce Storm discharges 

#2 These volumes as they are indicative, taken from the pre-construction design. We are not yet able to finalise all volumes to an “As Built” level of detail 

Qu. 4 
What is the % predicted increase in pumping capacity to achieve 13.7 L/S with the new pumps?  
The new pumps are being installed to improve the resilience of the sewage pumping station and help it consistently meet its permitted Flow Passed Forward (FPF) requirement over the longer term. The work is not intended to increase the permitted FPF beyond what is already required. Instead, it is designed to bring the pumping station back in line with its existing consent permit obligations. For this reason, the expected increase in permitted pumping capacity is 0%. Any increase beyond the existing permit requirement would be classed as an enhancement, which is not included within the current project scope. 

Qu. 5 

If the expansion will not significantly increase capacity, why were not more extensive and appropriate improvements included in the Investment Programme 2025-30? 

We have interpreted your use of the word ‘expansion’ to mean ‘scheme’ and your question to therefore be asking if the scheme won’t increase capacity (i.e. the ability of the SPS to meet FPF permit), why wasn’t there a bigger scheme in the AMP8 plan. If we have misunderstood your request, please let us know.  

The scheme at the SPS and WwTW has always been intended to ensure the pumping station operates in line with its FPF requirements and to help reduce spills affecting bathing water. It was not included in the programme to accommodate growth. 

On that basis, there were no additional drivers identified for a larger scheme at the SPS or WwTW during the 2025–30 AMP 8 period, such as growth or other regulatory requirements.  

If there is specific information that led to this question, please share it with us and we will be happy to review and clarify further. 

Qu. 6 
Regarding “mitigation” which DCWW says is necessary for any development to take place, would you please explain exactly what this would involve and who it will involve? Blockage on housing development by DC/WW is a very serious problem for Newport as a community.  Insufficient suitable housing causes a problem in addressing the housing needs of the community.  

We recognise that we have a duty to improve, maintain and extend our water and sewerage systems under the respective sections 37 and 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 and aim to ensure that sufficient infrastructure exists for domestic developments. Investment in water and sewerage infrastructure is managed in rolling 5-year Asset Management Plans (AMP) which seek to ensure appropriate large-scale investment is undertaken to provide capacity for growth. 

The AMP programme is funded via the revenue received through annual customer bills paying for the water and / or sewerage services. A key consideration as part of this is to ensure that customers’ bills are affordable to them, which is approved by the independent regulator, Ofwat. This creates a natural tension with the level of investment that can be supported in any particular AMP period. Therefore, DCWW have to prioritise the funding available to ensure it is used in the most appropriate way. The not-for-profit status allows for further infrastructure investment than if there were shareholders. 

As can be appreciated, our operational area covers all 25 Welsh Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), the whole of the English County of Herefordshire, and parts of some other bordering English LPAs. As such, a cost/benefit analysis needs to be undertaken to determine what schemes are the most feasible and affordable to undertake given that a balance needs to be struck with day-to-day operational investment and the need to ensure that customer bills remain affordable. Ofwat are also clear that developers have their part to play in financing growth and new development and that our existing customers should not burden the full costs of this. 

Consequently, where development will create a need for additional capacity in advance of any capital investment, as part of our interaction through the planning process we advise that developers can enter into a requisition process to provide the infrastructure to service the development. I should make clear that we only require developers to fund reinforcement to cater for their site in isolation ensuring no detriment to the existing system.  

It is hoped that we can work with any prospective applicant to commission a Hydraulic Modelling Assessment to identify the required solution to mitigate the impact of their development connecting to the public sewerage system. Alongside this we can work with the LPA to agree a suitably worded planning condition which will ensure that we retain sufficient control to protect our assets, customers and the environment whist allowing the planning authority to determine the planning application. 

Notice of appointment of the date for the exercise of electors’ rights.

Each year the annual accounts are audited by the Auditor General for Wales. Prior to this date, any interested person has the opportunity to inspect and make copies of the accounts and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts etc relating to them for 20 working days on reasonable notice. For the year ended 31 March 2026, these documents will be available on reasonable notice on application to:

The Town Council’s Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer; npclerk@newport-pembs.co.uk; 07593971076

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NOTICE OF CONCLUSION OF AUDIT AND RIGHT TO INSPECT THE ANNUAL RETURN  FOR THE YEARS ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

ANNUAL RETURN FOR PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST 2024

Cemeteries Fees and Charges – 2023-2024

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