£20,000 community fund launched alongside major wastewater upgrade

Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter

A £20,000 community fund as part of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s £20m upgrade at its wastewater treatment works is being launched this week.

The not-for-profit company is currently upgrading the treatment process at Cardigan Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW).

Once complete, the new process will ensure the works can cope better with the influx of seawater from the tidal Afon Teifi, helping to reduce the spill frequency from the site.

The works started in spring 2025, after being approved by Ceredigion planners last January, and is expected to be completed by the end of spring 2027.

In its 2024 application, Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water said the works will reduce the amount of pollution in the Teifi, reducing spills of untreated effluent, and improving water quality in the long-term.

However, concerns had been raised about the scheme, saying there will be an impact on neighbouring homes, and the access route to the site is unsafe.

Work at Cardigan so far has included service diversions, preparation work for the new dissolved air floatation treatment process (DAF), and the draining and cleaning of the existing tanks on the current Cardigan site.

This will allow them to be converted into new balancing tank and moving-bed bioreactor (MBBR), while there has also been the installation of two new 15-metre diameter primary settlement tanks (PST) – key elements of the wastewater treatment process.

Welsh Water’s Managing Director of Wastewater Services, Steve Wilson, said: “We are pleased to be making good progress on our essential work to upgrade the treatment process at Cardigan Wastewater Treatment works.

“This large investment will help ensure that we have capacity at the site to take wastewater and implement measures to prevent the influx of salt water. This in turn will ensure that we treat wastewater efficiently and reduce the number of spills from this site into the estuary.

“Now, we would like to say thank you by giving something back to the local community by launching our Cardigan Community Fund, giving local groups the opportunity to apply for up to £5,000 of funding to bring their community benefit projects to life.”

The Cardigan Community Fund will be open for applications from Monday, January 5 until February 28, and groups will be able to apply for varying amounts from £250 up to £5,000 to help enhance the area they live in.

To award the funds to local community projects, Welsh Water will be working in partnership with the local Public Service Board who will be part of the community fund panel.

To be eligible for funding, non-profit organisations and groups must be based within an area that is served by Cardigan WwTW, such as Cardigan, St Dogmaels, Penparc and Gwbert. They can apply for the funding to help them develop, launch or maintain a community project, which they will manage and deliver.