Pont-y-felin Lane
As a company, we depend on the environment for the water and wastewater services we provide. We take our responsibilities to protecting the environment seriously and we invest around £1 million a day in improving and maintaining our networks.
We also know that customers want us to do more, especially to help protect the quality of our rivers such as the Usk. This is why we’re planning to invest around £13 million to improve the way our CSO located in Pont-y-felin Lane, Torfaen, operates.
On this page you will find some information on the challenges we face and our proposals for improving the CSO, along with information about how you can share your feedback on our plans.
What’s the problem?
The quality of our main rivers is monitored by Natural Resources Wales. There is concern about the river water quality in parts of the Usk as they’re not achieving what’s called ‘good’ ecological status. This means that there are too many chemicals in the river such as ‘phosphorous’ which can cause algal blooms which can affect the amount of oxygen available in the water and harm wildlife.
There are several factors which can increase phosphate levels. This includes how we treat wastewater before it’s returned to the environment. Our modelling of the River Usk for example shows that our assets (i.e. our treatment works, Combined Storms Overflows or CSOs) are responsible for between 21% - 23% of the phosphates in the main water bodies, with CSOs only responsible for 1%. The remainder – over 75% - is caused by other factors such as agricultural run-off and animal faeces, urban surface water drainage, misconnected drains, as well as private septic tanks.
However, we understand that this is an important matter for communities, and we are committed to playing our part to doing what we can to reduce our impact on local rivers.
Pont-y-felin CSO
We have an underground CSO located on Pont-y-felin Lane which discharges into the Afon Lwyd. We are planning to invest around £13 million to upgrade this CSO using a nature-based solution which will treat spills and boost the water quality in the Afon Lwyd and River Usk. We have hired a leading engineering consultancy which have conducted a thorough analysis, and we gathered valuable input from the public and stakeholders through various channels. Check the below tabs under 'Developing Solutions' and 'Public Consultation' for more details on how we came to finalising our preferred solution.
Developing the solution
We appointed Arup, a leading engineering consultancy, to explore the best options to help us achieve our goal of reducing the spills from the Combined Storm Overflow (CSO) to the local river water. They carried out a detailed study which assessed a range of options which are highlighted below.
| Option | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Optimising the existing system | Upsize the existing pipework downstream of the CSO, which would increase the amount flow passed through the Eastern Valley Trunk Sewer before spilling at the CSO. | Although this option would reduce the spills at this CSO, it was not considered feasible due to the current capacity within the sewer network. It also would not help us achieve the desired environmental outcome. |
| Flow removal | Prevent storm water from getting into the network at the source (for example, disconnecting surface water pipes from the foul network, or laying new pipework to take surface water away). | Our investigations showed that most of the surface water run off came from individual properties. Redirecting individual properties would cost a significant amount of money, generate a lot of disruption to our customers and would not achieve the desired environmental outcome. |
| Grey solutions | Routing storm water overflows to a storage tank which would be put back into the network once the flows had reduced. This would involve building a 1300m3 storage tank next to the CSO which would be suitable for the space available. | Our modelling showed that the storage tank would need to be approximately 20 times bigger to significantly reduce the number of spills. It would also not achieve the desired environmental outcome. |
| Nature based solution | Treat storm water to a satisfactory quality using nature-based solutions before discharging it into the river. | The use of reed beds and constructed wetlands are industry proven methods of treating waste water. This solution also provides an opportunity to enhance the space with green infrastructure for community use. |
After assessing the different options, the nature-based solution was identified as the preferred solution in terms of the improving the river water quality, enhancing the local environment, and providing socio-environmental benefits to the local community.
This solution would involve creating:
- Aerated reed beds, which would treat the storm water flows before they are released back into the environment.
- Two wetlands, with a pontoon observation deck.
- A compound, consisting of screening chambers to help remove any large particles such as rags and wet wipes, aeration blowers for the reed beds, a below ground overflow chamber and maintenance areas to serve each of these assets.
- Access and maintenance tracks, which would allow maintenance vehicles to reach the assets as well as provide day-to-day use for pedestrians on foot.
- Footpaths and walkways to allow pedestrian access between different entry points of the site.
- Amenity infrastructure and educational areas, including seating areas and an outdoor classroom to allow the community to connect with the environment.
- Biodiversity enhancements, such as insect hotels, bat boxes, tree planting and grassland seeding.
The benefits that this solution could bring include:
- Improving the current landscaping
- Creating sites to enhance biodiversity and ecology
- Provide educational opportunities for people to learn about the environment
- Reduce the risk of flooding to nearby properties
- Retain the storm water flows before they reach the watercourse
- Encourage the local community to spend more time outdoors
- Improve current recreational facilities
- Treat the wastewater currently spilling at the CSO which in turn will boost the local river water quality
Since April, we have been consulting with the public and local stakeholders through meetings, door knocking, information events and our online virtual consultation room. This feedback has been valuable in helping us design our project. We are always keen to work with the community when developing our projects, and here are some examples of the changes we have made following your feedback:
| People could get too close to the reedbeds which could be a safety concern. We have revised the shape of the reedbeds so that they don’t follow the shape of the footpath, discouraging people from getting too close to them. We will also be fencing off the reedbeds and wetland basis, as well as installing additional safety signage. |
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| People could get too close to the reedbeds which could be a safety concern. We have revised the shape of the reedbeds so that they don’t follow the shape of the footpath, discouraging people from getting too close to them. We will also be fencing off the reedbeds and wetland basis, as well as installing additional safety signage. |
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| Concerns that this would impact resident’s ability to walk their dogs freely within the area. We won’t be enforcing any rules on site with regards to dog walking. All we ask is that everyone acts as a responsible dog owner in line with laws that protect public right of ways. |
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| Inviting seasonal food vendors to the land would encourage traffic to the area. Provisions for seasonal food and vending businesses have been removed from site reducing the chances of littering and public concerns around vermin control. |
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| Noise may come from the assets. We will be using the latest technology when constructing our assets and do not expect local people to hear them. However, we have added additional acoustic protection to help reassure local residents. |
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What can I expect?
Our main construction:
Once our preparation work has been completed and planning has been approved, we will progress with the main construction work.
This will take approximately one year to complete, and will involve:
- the creation of reed beds and wetlands
- constructing a small compound for managing the nearby assets
- Installing footpaths, additional pedestrian access gates and outdoor seating
- Improve the current landscaping
- Creating spaces to enhance the local biodiversity and allowing for people to take up educational opportunities to learn more about the local environment
For public safety, the public right of way through the field will be diverted while we carry out our work. This will be clearly signposted for you to follow.
Pont-y-felin lane closed:
For safety reasons, the single track lane between Lancaster Road (from the New Inn Congregational Church Cemetery) and the junction with Pont-y-felin Lane will remain closed to vehicles and walkers throughout the duration of our work. Residents will have limited access to garages between 1st - 3rd November, however the site team will accommodate when they can and residents will be able to gain access. A diversion route for those residents who live in the area will be put in place via Pont-y-felin Lane.
Our contractors and working hours:
We’ll be working with Morgan Sindall and their supply chain to get the work done, so you may notice their vehicles travelling in your local area. They’ll be working Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 5.30pm, although sometimes they may need to work outside of these hours to get the work done quickly.
Community Support
We know our work can sometimes cause disruption, and we want to leave the community in a better place once we complete our work. If you’re aware of a project taking place that will benefit the community, we would love to see if we could get involved. Please let us know how we can support you and we will do our very best to help, contact us at community@dwrcymru.com.
Frequently asked questions
We have been carrying out investigations on the Combined Storm Overflow (CSO) which is located on Pont-y-felin lane. Combined with our water quality modelling data, out assessment showed that we could be making improvements to this CSO which in turn will help boost the water quality in the Afon Lwyd.
After assessing the different options, this nature-based solution was identified as the preferred solution that would not only help improve the river water quality, but also enhance the local environment and provide socio-environmental benefits to the community.
The use of reed beds and constructed wetlands are industry proven methods of treating waste water. The provide a natural filtering process to further improve the quality of water being returned to the river. They remove the unwanted chemicals and nutrients, such as ammonia, nitrogen and phosphorus, naturally. Previously, water companies have tended to use very engineered solutions to reduce or remove these nutrients, but we are now exploring more natural solutions to provide a low carbon and reliable alternative.
Our proposed plans include opportunities to enhance the biodiversity within the area.
Yes, as part of our planning process we carried out an extensive noise assessment to establish the impact of our proposed plans and the mitigation measures in place to help reduce their impact. We do not anticipate any noise disruption to nearby properties or those enjoying the local area. You can read more about our assessment and how we reached this conclusion in the Noise Technical Note.
Yes, as part of our planning process we carried out extensive noise assessments to establish the impact of our proposed plans and the mitigation measures in place to help reduce their impact. We do not expect any odours as a direct result of our proposed plan. You can read more about our assessment and how we reached this conclusion in the Odour Assessment.
Yes, as part of our planning process we carried out extensive assessments to establish the effects of our proposed plans on the environment, and where possible seek opportunities to enhance the biodiversity within the area.
- Click here to read our Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA).
- Click here to read our Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA)
We intend to enhance the existing recreational benefits that the land provides to the local community and ensure our proposals align with The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. By creating dedicated footpaths and access points around the site and providing educational areas, we can allow the community to get outdoors to reconnect and learn about the beautiful environment around them.
The only vehicles that would be permitted on site include a maintenance vehicle to carry out routine inspections and maintenance on our assets, and a small minibus for pre-arranged educational opportunities. All other vehicles will not be permitted to access the site. Click here to read our Planning, Design and Access statement.
Yes, we have carried out a Flood Consequence Assessment which determined that there would be no detrimental impact on flooding with the area. Click here to read this assessment.
If planning was approved for our current proposal, we anticipate the development taking approximately one year to construct.
No, there would be no impact on your water or waste services.