WQ93584 (e) Tabled on 24/07/2024

How is Welsh Government ensuring that Natural Resources Wales addresses the polluting of private land with sewage due to public land rainwater soakaways?

Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs | Answered on 30/07/2024

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has both statutory and regulatory duties to discharge in its role as Wales’ environmental regulator.

In discharging these duties, NRW follows a structured response process to address and mitigate the impact of any pollution incident. This ensures that NRW can effectively manage and respond to environmental incidents, minimising impacts (where possible) and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

Incidents are assessed by urgency and severity in order to prioritise response efforts. In many cases it is not only NRW’s officers who respond but also partner organisations which include emergency services, Local Authorities and Public Health Wales.