Recently, I have received a number of communications from constituents about the water quality at Ogmore-by-Sea and Watch House Bay in Barry.
Parents are worried about sewage dumps in the seas and on the beaches that their children play in, cold water swimmers are wary about the correct information about the waters they swim in, environmental groups are raising concerns on the impact to our wildlife.
Watch House Bay was only made a bathing beach in 2023 and since then the water quality has only ever been classified as a ‘Poor’ or ‘Sufficient’, compared to its neighbouring beach, Cold Knap, that was most recently classified as ‘Excellent’.
These differences signify a clear problem with water that is directly around Watch House Bay.
Everyone living in Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg deserves to have natural spaces that they can use safely so urgent action must be taken to address these issues to ensure our local beaches can be safe for all to use.
As a consequence, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have launched an investigation, the South Central Bathing Water Project, to discover the causes linked to poor water quality at these beaches.
NRW have outlined the key steps they are taking on the ground, which includes two dedicated officers who will use fieldwork and data analysis to investigate the reasons leading to the door water quality ratings.
My fellow Member of the Senedd Sarah Rees has recently spoken to a cold water swimming group, Watch Tower Waders, to discuss their views on the water quality locally.
They have expressed a need for greater communication between NRW, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, and the council, so that constituents are informed of the correct information about our waters so that they can be used safely by all.
I welcome the work from Vale of Glamorgan councillors Nic Hodges, Steffan Wiliam, and Shirley Hodges in pushing Dŵr Cymru and NRW to resolving these problems and ensuring that results of their investigation are shared with the people of Barry.
I hope that by working with all parties involved in this project we can come together to achieve safer waters and beaches for all those living in Pen-y-Bont Bro Morganwg.
If you are concerned about an issue in our local area, whether that is water quality or not, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me.
