Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and the Environment, has unearthed major Welsh Government double standards when allocating funding for reservoir safety.
In November 2024 the Shadow Cabinet Secretary highlighted that while £25m has been offered for coal tip safety, private reservoirs are left to the responsibility of the landowner with no funding made available to support them. The same month, responding to concerns raised in by Mrs Finch-Saunders, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs said: “If I owned a piece of land with a reservoir on it, grand or small, it is my liability within that,” highlighting that the financial responsibility is with the landowner.
Taxpayers money is being used by NRW on reservoir safety. They spent £2.68 million in 2019-20, and £3.72 million in 2020-21 on 10 high-risk reservoirs.
Taxpayers money is being spent on orphan reservoirs (where the landowner is unknow). £0.5 million was spent between 2019 and 2021.
And now it has been disclosed that tax payers money has been used to fund major projects by Welsh Water, including at Llyn Brenig, Llyn Aled, and Llyn Celyn. Please see the details in the Notes.
Commenting on reservoir safety, Janet said:
“The Cabinet Secretary has previously made clear to the Senedd that the cost of ensuring the safety of private reservoirs should not be met by the taxpayer.
“The Welsh Government has double-standards, because Welsh Water have now confirmed to me in writing that costs of major works at their reservoirs, including Brenig, Aled, and Celyn, have been recharged to Natural Resources Wales, and therefore the taxpayer.
“It cannot be special treatment for Welsh Water and no support for every other private reservoir owner.
“The priority should be on ensuring that every high-risk reservoir is safe. Doing so is in the best interest of community safety, and as such there should be tax payers support for the reservoirs most in need, whoever the owner”.
ENDS
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
Notes: The works at Welsh Water reservoirs funded by taxpayers money via NRW are:
- Llyn Brenig:
Significant works were undertaken to upgrade the electrical and mechanical valve control to the emergency scour release system and flow control valves. Work included the replacement of a new crane, scour gates, actuation, and electrical replacement. The work was prescribed following the most recent statutory reservoir inspection undertaken by an independent all reservoir panel engineer.
2. Llyn Aled
Since the latest statutory inspections on the Aled system, Llyn Aled and Aled Isaf has benefited from a study which identified deep seated leakage within the dam. Remedial works has been undertaken using grouting techniques and the construction of secant pile walls within the dam, together with new valves to facilitate emergency drawdown as well as replacement release valves to ensure that statutory releases are maintained down the Afon Aled.
3. Llyn Celyn
Llyn Celyn has benefited from a major upgrade project and refurbishment following a statutory reservoir inspection undertaken by an independent all reservoir panel engineer. To ensure that the reservoir meets the latest guidance the construction of a new auxiliary spillway is currently underway. Significant work has recently been undertaken to replace some pipework and valves within the dam tunnel and outlet structure. The work has been undertaken using divers and significant temporary works to ensure that the asset remains operational providing water supply, flood attenuation, power, and amenity further down the River Dee. Further work in 2025 is planned to refurbish the electrical and syphon system.
