Hafren Dyfrdwy Agrees to £280,000 Sewage Spill Settlement
Hafren Dyfrdwy will pay £280,000 after a regulator found the company failed to manage wastewater, leading to excessive sewage spills in Wales.
The water regulator Ofwat found that Hafren Dyfrdwy, a Wrexham-based utility owned by Severn Trent, breached legal obligations by failing to provide adequate drainage and sewer network management. The investigation revealed that inadequate systems led to excessive sewage spills from storm overflows.
To resolve these failures, the company agreed to a £280,000 enforcement package to be delivered by 2030. The settlement includes £278,000 for two stormwater balancing tanks at the Llansantffraid Sewage Pumping Station and £2,000 for a wetland habitat and tree planting project at Llanfyllin Workhouse, conducted with the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust. Ofwat stipulated that the company and its shareholders must fund these measures so that customers, who face average bill increases of £54 for the 2026-27 financial year, do not bear the cost.
Managing director Steph Cawley apologized for the issues, noting that average spills were reduced from 36.2 to 21.6 last year. This case is the ninth in a sector-wide investigation by Ofwat that has secured over £300 million in fines and enforcement packages. Ofwat will hold a public consultation on the proposal until November 6, 2026.
