Investigation launched into pollution at two South Wales beaches

Nation.Cymru staff

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has launched a year-long investigation into the causes of poor water quality at two popular South Wales beaches.

Environment officers will spend the next 12 months examining rivers, streams and drainage systems feeding Ogmore-by-Sea and Watch House Bay in Barry after both bathing waters received “poor” classifications under the Bathing Water Regulations.

The South Central Bathing Waters Project aims to identify where pollution is entering local waterways and gather evidence to support long-term improvements.

Rather than focusing solely on the beaches themselves, officers will investigate the wider river catchments, testing water quality, tracing pollution sources and assessing the health of rivers through the insects and other wildlife they support.

NRW environment officer Leon said understanding pollution meant looking far beyond the coastline.

“Most people experience the sea at the end of the journey.

“But what affects water quality starts much further upstream. We are trying to connect all those pieces. Every sample, every test and every conversation helps us build a clearer picture of what is really going on.”

Karen, an NRW environment officer specialising in ecology, said the tiny insects living beneath river stones can reveal how healthy a river has been over months rather than just on the day samples are taken.

“These insects are like a living record of the river. Some can only survive in really clean water, while others can tolerate different types of pollution.

“Where water chemistry can tell you what is happening in the river at that moment, looking at these insects can tell us if pollution has gone into the river over the last few months.”

The investigation will include monitoring water quality after heavy rainfall, identifying drainage problems such as incorrectly connected pipes, tracing sources of harmful bacteria and carrying out ecological surveys to build a clearer picture of conditions across the catchments.

Water quality at bathing sites can be affected by a range of factors, including heavy rainfall, overloaded drainage systems, pollution from urban areas, incorrectly connected wastewater pipes and agricultural runoff.

As well as carrying out scientific surveys, NRW officers will spend the summer meeting residents, swimmers, surfers, anglers and other local groups to gather information about pollution incidents and drainage issues.

The project brings together NRW, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Bridgend County Borough Council, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Shared Regulatory Services.

‘Challenge’

Dav Letellier, NRW’s Head of Operations for South Wales Central, said improving bathing water quality would require organisations to work together.

“Improving bathing water quality at Ogmore-by-Sea and Watch House Bay is a challenge no single organisation can solve alone.

“By working together and sharing what we know, we can make more progress than any of us could separately. We are also committed to involving wider stakeholders and working with local communities.”

The project will run until March 2027, with its findings expected to help identify the causes of pollution and inform future action to improve bathing water quality at both beaches.

NRW is encouraging members of the public to report suspected pollution, including sewage odours, discoloured water, dead fish, toilet waste, or agricultural runoff entering rivers and streams, to help officers identify potential sources.