Coracle fishermen raise alarm after suspected sewage pollution on Welsh river

A centuries-old fishing tradition on one of Wales’ most famous rivers could be under threat again after campaigners reported fresh pollution pouring into the water.

The Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association took to Facebook on Saturday 2 May 2026 to share videos and images of the issues on the River Towy.

Coracle fishing is a practice involving small boats, the first record of which dates back to the 11th century. By the 1800s, it had become both a cottage industry and a popular pastime across Wales.

However, according to the Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association, following The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1923), which put an end to coracle fishing on many rivers, “today it is limited to three rivers in west Wales – the Towy, Teifi and Taf.”

The coracle fishing season traditionally begins on 1 May, ending in late July. However, when the fishermen went to the Towy on Friday night, they were met with a foul stench and discovered what they suspected was a burst valve.

The fishermen gathered video evidence of the valve at the stretch of the river, which runs through Carmarthen parallel to the A40, and reported it to Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

In their Facebook post on Saturday, the association wrote: “Today we walked the stretch of river and followed the outlet to the source of the problem – the fields leading to the valve are coated in remnants of toilet paper and faeces with fecal waste pouring out of a water main.

“All this is pouring directly into the river and members of the public have told us it’s been pouring in since last weekend!!!!”

In response to a particular image of the river, a commenter added: “That’s been like that for absolutely weeks, and is probably the reason Llansteffan road smells of sewage for the 3 months most mornings!”

According to the association, Dŵr Cymru had been at the site over the weekend and advised the fishermen that a rising main had burst, posing a “major problem for the affected area”.

Dŵr Cymru informed them that the pumps were turned off on Saturday afternoon and emergency work would be carried out to repair the burst main but “it’s a large job”.

However, members of the Coracle and Netsmen’s Association then walked downriver to the Mekatek outlet near Towy Bridge and “witnessed even more pollution entering the river with a strong odour.”

They added: “Needless to say this is going to have a detrimental effect on the river and the wildlife. Our coracle men are at a complete loss as to what more we can do.

“Our reports are falling on deaf ears and repeated pollution is killing not only the river, but a tradition that has been here for over a thousand years.”

The association also shared a list of contacts including Natural Resources Wales, Carmarthenshire Fishermen’s Federation, and Carmarthenshire County Council.

Data released in July 2025 by Natural Resources Wales showed Dŵr Cymru was responsible for a total of 155 pollution incidents in 2024, 85% (132) from sewerage assets.

The numbers represented a 42% increase in sewage incidents by the company in the previous decade.

A separate organisation, Surfers Against Sewage, recorded “118,276 sewage spills by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water in 2024 — that’s more than one every five minutes, and the highest of any UK water company.” This number includes both permitted and monitored spills.

At the time, Nadia De Longhi, Head of Regulation and Permitting from NRW, said of the “deterioration” in Dŵr Cymru’s performance: “We continue to do everything we can to drive improvements, but Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water must address the root cause of these pollution incidents and take preventative measures before more harm is done to the water environment.”

In April 2026, Deeside.com reported that Dŵr Cymru had recorded its worst-ever year for serious pollution incidents in 2025, with 11 incidents reported.

However, there was a drop in wastewater pollution incidents from the aforementioned 132 to 111.

These figures have not yet been finalised with regulatory bodies including Natural Resources Wales and the Environment Agency, and so may change.

Responding to the Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association in the comments, Natural Resources Wales encouraged them to report the incident.

A member of the association promptly clarified that “This has been reported to NRW – I’ve requested a call back from NRW to see if you’ve actually gone on site to take water samples or check wildlife.”

Dŵr Cymru also commented: “We’re sorry to see the concern about this and want to reassure you that we’re currently responding to the incident affecting the River Towy in Pensarn, Carmarthen, caused by a burst rising main.

“The affected pipe has now been isolated, and tankers are in place to safely manage flows while repair work is carried out.

“Our teams are on site and working as quickly as possible to resolve the issue.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and carrying out water quality testing both upstream and downstream of the location. As a precaution, this monitoring will continue over the weekend to assess the condition of the river.

“We apologise for this incident and understand the concern it may cause to the local community.”

Several members of the public voiced their anger, writing “If it’s not the sea, it’s the rivers…” and “You wonder why people don’t pay for a fishing licence.”

Another suggested that the association should provide Welsh MPs and parties with copies of the video footage and ask “what they intend doing about it if they want the public and your votes.”

They continued: “The water companies don’t seem to care but they raise our bills and continue to flaunt the laws in regards to pollution…

“No other business or farmers could get away with it!”

Dŵr Cymru is currently involved in what lawyers have described as the UK’s biggest environmental pollution claim, brought by 1,300 individuals over alleged pollution in the River Wye and River Usk catchments.

For more information and to report pollution incidents, visit the Natural Resources Wales site here.