Climate change protesters are calling for water companies to “clean up their act” over the discharge of sewage into Welsh waters. According to the North West Wales Climate Action Group, Welsh beaches and rivers were “subject to hundreds of thousands of hours of sewage discharge” in 2022.

It has organised an online public meeting inviting speakers from groups such as Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, North Wales Wildlife Trust and Surfers against Sewage to speak on the issue. Protesters have called on the Welsh Government to regulate the discharge of raw sewage into waterways and beaches and highlights bathing risks.

The group claims that 66% rivers in Wales “do not meet good ecological standards”. The Welsh Government highlights “44% of Wales’ rivers achieving a ‘good’ or better overall status under the Water Framework Directive, with the latest results 8% higher than the first classifications in 2009”.