‘Outrageous’: sewage pouring into rivers and lakes in national parks

SEWAGE is pouring into rivers in Wales’ national parks at twice the rate of that outside the national parks, a study has revealed.

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor

Figures have been released by campaigners amid anecdotal evidence that Eryri is also the UK’s most littered tourist attraction.

Eryri was ranked alongside Dartmoor, the Broads and the South Downs as the parks worst affected by sewage overflows. The Campaign for National Parks (CNP) described the situation as ‘outrageous} arguing that rivers and lakes in designated landscapes should be the cleanest in the country.

Figures released by the group showed each sewer overflow in Eryri discharges an average 638 hours per year. In Bannau Brycheiniog, the number was 489 hours and in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park it was 420 hours. According to CNP, the average figure outside national parks in England and Wales is 266 hours.

A report by CNP and the Rivers Trust also found that 48% of the rivers in Wales’ national parks failed to meet the good ecological status required by law. ‘This was slightly below England’s average. Slurry and fertiliser runoff were blamed, along with toxic pesticides

CNP chief executive Dr Rose O'Neill said: “National Parks should set the gold standard for clean and healthy rivers, but instead they are being ignored and neglected by government, regulators and water companies. These are rivers loved by millions of people: if we can’t protect the jewels of our waterways, then we are failing the nation”

In 2024, a total of 47,187 hours of sewage were discharged from combined sewage overflows (CSO) into Eryri’s rivers, according to CNP. This was more than twice the figure for Bannau Brycheiniog (22,482 hours) and more than three times the discharge hours in Pembrokeshire Coast (15,957 hours). Eryri is the largest of the country’s national parks.