New proposals submitted for Merthyr water treatment works

Following a consultation with the local community the previous plan to develop a site at Gurnos Farm is no longer being considered.

The new proposals are for a smaller treatment works at Dan-y-Castell Farm next to Pant Industrial Estate and upgrading the Llwyn-onn Treatment Works.

The plans have been revised in response to community feedback and to reduce environmental impact and cost.

The investment is needed as three water treatment works in the area, Pontsticill, Cantref and Llwyn-onn, are ageing and nearing the end of their operational life.

A new legal duty has also been placed on Welsh Water by the Drinking Water Inspectorate to build a new treatment works.

The drinking water network in the Bannau Brychieniog National Park was constructed in the early 20th century and these water treatment works are becoming increasingly challenging and expensive to operate due to their age.

Without major investment, there is an increased risk that Welsh Water will not be able to continue to meet high drinking water standards, and customers will be at risk of increased interruptions to drinking water supplies in the future.

Ian Christie, Managing Director of Water, Asset Planning and Capital Delivery at Welsh Water said:

“We greatly appreciated the feedback that we received following our 2022 consultation and would like to thank the community for their patience as we carried out our review.

“We have listened and challenged ourselves to develop a new solution which will provide an innovative solution to our ageing water treatment works, as well as making sure our assets and network are resilient to the effects of climate change and future population growth.

“It has not been an easy challenge as an investment of this size and importance requires careful planning, which is why we have taken the additional time to balance the many considerations and be as informed as possible.

“We’re now pleased to be sharing the progress we have made and gain the views from the local community which will help us shape our proposals further before they are finalised.”