Welsh water firm Hafren Dyfrdwy ordered to pay £280,000 over 'unacceptable' sewage spills while bills rose by £54

Severn Trent-owned Hafren Dyfrdwy has been hit with a £280,000 enforcement package by regulator Ofwat after an investigation found the Welsh firm had dumped excessive sewage into waterways through storm overflows. The company failed to maintain adequate drainage, manage its sewer network properly, and lacked the systems needed to meet its legal obligations. The fine is the ninth case in Ofwat's sector-wide sewage crackdown, which has now secured over £300 million in enforcement action. Crucially, the cost must be borne by the firm and its shareholders — not passed on to customers.

Hafren Dyfrdwy, which supplies around 109,000 customers across north-east and mid-Wales, was already allowed to hike bills by £54 to £635 this year.

Ofwat enforcement chief Lynn Parker called the breaches 'unacceptable' and said customers must be able to 'regain trust' in the company.

The firm must install two stormwater balancing tanks and help create a wetland habitat, with all measures delivered by 2030.