Powys is the largest county in Wales, spanning 2,000 square miles (5,180 km2) and is characterised by its vast, rural landscape, which is home to over 133,000 people. The area is known for being home to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons) and Elan Valley Reservoirs, and it has several major rivers flowing through it, including the Wye, Severn, Usk, and Lugg.
As a company, Welsh Water has 89 wastewater treatment works and nine water treatment works located across Powys, as well as 530km of sewers and 1,452km water pipes to serve this county.
Over the next five years, our investment program for Powys will focus on protecting and enhancing the environment by reducing the impact of storm overflows and upgrading our wastewater treatment works in the county. Additionally, we aim to improve the resilience of our water network through upgrading our reservoirs.
We are investing £13.2 million in Usk Reservoir near Trecastle. This project includes installing two new siphons to enhance the dam’s drawdown capability and futureproof water supplies for the area.
Every five years we prepare a regulatory business plan which is submitted to Ofwat as part of the Price Review process. The plans are based on customer views and cover our performance commitments, efficiency, investments, and bills. Below is an example of the work carried out in your area during the previous investment period 2020-2025.
We invested £9 million to upgrade the Brecon wastewater treatment works. This investment increased treatment capacity to support community growth and introduced a process to remove phosphorous from treated wastewater. Reducing phosphorous will help lower algal blooms in the river Usk, benefiting its water quality and aquatic life.