Dŵr Cymru/ Welsh Water has been fined £1.35m after it admitted to 800 breaches of its environmental permits to discharge sewage, citing an internal restructure, IT issues and the pandemic as causes.
Since 2010 there has been a requirement on water companies to carry out self-monitoring of their effluent discharges from their sewage works and water treatment works.
Janet Finch-Saunder MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and the Environment, has called for the £1.35m collected from this fine to be spent here in Wales.
Commenting on Dŵr Cymru’s fine, Janet said:
“Whilst I have previously stated that water companies in Wales should be allowed to undertake environmental undertakings in lieu of a fine, so to undo the damage caused, in the absence of that option, we need urgent assurance that the £1.35m fine will be spent here in Wales.
“A fine paid for environmental harm caused to Wales should be spent on improving the environment in Wales.
“What is most frustrating of all is that such poor management by Welsh Water is ultimately a fine on all of us rate payers, because it is our water bills, which are already up 27% this year, which will be used to pay the penalty”.
ENDS
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
Mae Dŵr Cymru wedi cael dirwy o £1.35m wedi i'r cwmni gyfaddef ei fod wedi torri 800 o'i drwyddedau amgylcheddol i ollwng carthffosiaeth, gan nodi ailstrwythuro mewnol, problemau TG a'r pandemig fel rhesymau.
Ers 2010 mae'n ofynnol ar gwmnïau dŵr i fonitro eu gollyngiadau elifion o leoliadau gwaith carthffosiaeth a gwaith trin dŵr.
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders AS, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yr Wrthblaid dros Newid Hinsawdd a'r Amgylchedd i’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, wedi galw am i’r £1.35m a gasglwyd o'r ddirwy hon gael ei wario yma yng Nghymru.
Wrth sôn am ddirwy Dŵr Cymru, dywedodd Janet:
“Er fy mod i wedi dweud o'r blaen y dylid caniatáu i gwmnïau dŵr yng Nghymru gymryd camau amgylcheddol er mwyn dadwneud y difrod a achoswyd yn lle cael dirwy, yn absenoldeb yr opsiwn hwnnw mae angen sicrwydd brys arnom y bydd y ddirwy o £1.35m yn cael ei wario yma yng Nghymru.
“Dylid gwario arian sy’n dod o ddirwy am y niwed amgylcheddol a achosir i Gymru, ar wella'r amgylchedd yng Nghymru.
“Y peth mwyaf rhwystredig yw bod rheolaeth wael o'r fath gan Dŵr Cymru yn y pen draw yn ddirwy i bob un ohonom sy'n talu trethi, oherwydd ein biliau dŵr ni, sydd eisoes wedi cynyddu 27% eleni, fydd yn cael eu defnyddio i dalu'r gosb”.
DIWEDD
Llun: Janet Finch-Saunders AS
