Welsh Water hires new boss for highest-paid public job in Wales

THE man who will take on the highest-paid public sector job in Wales has been announced.

- ELLIE GOSLEY and ANNA WISE

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water has hired Roch Cheroux to lead the utilities firm, which has previously landed in hot water with the regulator over its reporting of leakages.

Not-for-profit Welsh Water serves more than three million people across Wales, Herefordshire and parts of Deeside.

In March last year, the company agreed to pay nearly £40m to customers after the industry watchdog found it misreported leaks and water usage over a five-year period.

Ofwat said it was “indefensible” that the firm “misled customers and regulators on its record of tackling leakage and saving water’.

The £39.4m compensation package included a £10 rebate for customers.

Meanwhile, Welsh Water was blocked by the watchdog last year from using bill-payers’ money to fund £163,000 worth of bonuses for its top bosses.

It was one of nine firms who were called out for not linking payouts closely enough to the performance of the company.

Mr Cheroux will become the highest-paid public sector worker in Wales when he succeeds current chief executive Peter Perry, who is retiring in spring 2026.

Earlier this year, the Dwr Cymru boss was forced to defend his salary and bonuses to MPs.

In 2021, Mr Perry received a total of £892,000 in remuneration - a combination of salary, benefits, pension, variable pay and incentives.

In 2024, the chief executive also took a bonus of £91,000.

At the UK Parliament's environment committee, Mr Perry was asked by Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell about his salary and bonus entitlement in light of “water security, environmental performance, water quality’.

Mr Perry replied: “We don’t have the term ‘bonus’ - we have the term ‘variable pay’ and variable pay puts at risk a potential earnings based on performance”