'£6m flooding fix fund disappears down drain'
PLANS to invest up to £6 million towards new storm water drains in Llanelli have been scaled back after Ofwat forced Welsh Water to cut household bills, it has been claimed.
Plaid prospective parliamentary candidate Myfanwy Davies said she and town AM Helen Mary Jones have been campaigning for long-term solutions to flooding problems.
They claim residents often suffer because the sewerage system does not have the capacity to drain extra rainwater during severe weather.
The Plaid pair say they were told in November that Welsh Water had plans to invest up to £6 million in building new storm water drains. The proposals would increase drainage during and after heavy rain.
But they claim that after water regulator Ofwat published price limits "that would appear to have had some impact on these plans", Welsh Water publicly released a figure of £2.7 million for investment in the storm water drainage programme.
Ofwat has denied it was to blame for the alleged scaling down of the programme. An Ofwat spokesman said: "We agreed in full to Welsh Water's planned programme of investment to reduce the load on the sewerage network in Llanelli."
Welsh Water said it had met the Plaid pair to discuss water quality issues in the area.
"The meeting involved constructive dialogue between both parties and highlighted our commitment to the area," said a spokesman.
Dr Davies said: "I understand Ofwat is there to stop some private companies from exploiting users by charging too much for water services but Welsh Water is a not-for-profit company. That means it has to use profits rather than borrowing to maintain and improve drains, pipes and sewers.
"It cannot be right that we are being denied work to prevent floods based on regulators that are judging a different kind of company."
shaun.greaney@swwmedia.co.uk
2 Comments
by david, Dafen
Friday, March 19 2010, 11:25AM
“Just goes to show another power taking our money and giving us nothing in return just like carmarthenshire county ciouncil taking our council tax and taking away our much needed services it wont be long before Wales will be run into the ground and families with no money in the bank due to greedy companies taking their hard earned pay, i have had enough of flooding and sewerage coming into my home it is putting peoples lives at risk and i am expected to keep on paying water rates and council tax. time for change before it gets too late”
by Bob, Kidwelly
Thursday, March 18 2010, 2:12PM
“I¿m obviously missing something here. Dr Davies says:
but Welsh Water is a not-for-profit company. That means it has to use profits
But if welsh Water doesn¿t make profits being a not for profit company, what profits is Dr Davies referring to?
Perhaps is the council stopped wasting millions of taxpayers pounds on things Llanelli does not really want or need perhaps it can spend a few on the things Llanelli desperately needs ¿like having streets and houses without raw sewage flowing through them!”