Calls for 'immediate' devolution over all water in Wales amid London piping plan
Plaid Cymru has demanded the “immediate” devolution of control over all water in Wales, six years after it was first promised.
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price MS, made the call after news emerged about plans to potentially pipe water from Lake Vyrnwy and the River Severn to London to help with drought in the South East.
Mr Price said Wales was the only country in the UK denied the right to legislate on all the water within its borders. The Welsh Government currently can only regulate water companies wholly or mainly in Wales – which excludes Severn Trent Water and United Utilities.
They have controversial plans to transfer an extra 180 million litres a day from Wales to the south east of England with the
Adam Price MS said: "Six years after the devolution of power over water was promised, not one drop of extra power has passed to Wales, because Westminster has blocked it.
“Welsh natural resources should be in Welsh hands – controlled by Wales for the benefit of our communities. Instead we have a farcical system whereby we are not allowed to adjust the price at which we sell water to England, but their water companies are allowed to reap enormous profits as they sell our water onwards.
“It is days before the OFWAT announcement on the Severn to Thames water project is due, which could see the approval of another 180 million litres a day being extracted from Wales.
“It’s imperative that power over water is devolved to Wales immediately. It is totally unacceptable that Welsh families who pay among the highest water bills in the UK will yet again lose out as we watch the profits from the onward sale of our precious water resources line the pockets of the private water companies, rather than benefit the communities from which it is taken."
