As part of a major investment scheme by Welsh Water in Usk, community groups in the town can apply for funding from a £10,000 community fund set to be launched by the company.
As part of a major investment scheme by Welsh Water in Usk, community groups in the town can apply for funding from a £10,000 community fund set to be launched by the company.
The fund is part of a £10 million investment scheme being carried out by the not-for-profit utility company between now and 2025 to upgrade the town’s wastewater system.
The grant will be available to local community groups or organisations who can make bids for sums of between £250 and £1,000 to support their activities. This might include community projects, events or environmental projects.
The company offers grants such as this when it is undertaking major investment work in a community as a way of thanking them for bearing with them as they undertake the work. It forms part of the company’s wider Community Fund that supports community initiatives throughout its operational area. Applications will be reviewed by the Community Fund Panel who meet monthly.
The investment work being carried out will improve the way the wastewater serving the town operates, which in turn will help improve the quality of the water in the river Usk. Since April last year, the company has been developing its plans which will be carried out over the next three years.
The work will be carried out in three phases with the first already underway at Usk Sewer pumping station near the cricket club. This involves installing screens to remove things such as rags and wet wipes the station receives. Once completed work will move to the next phase which will be to increase the amount of waste pumped to the nearby wastewater treatment works to reduce the number of spills from the station’s combined storm overflow (CSO). The final phase of the work will be to increase capacity at the treatment works itself.
Welsh Water’s assets play a key role in helping protect the local community from flooding. While it appreciates some would like to see CSOs removed, this is not possible as it would cause significant disruption and involve digging up and laying new pipes in every street in the area. Given the amount of surface water in Usk town, it would also involve building a storage tank equivalent to the size of a cricket ground.
The company will shortly be issuing every home and business in Usk with a newsletter explaining more about the work and the benefits it will bring.
Steve Wilson, Welsh Water’s Managing Director for Wastewater Services said: "Delivering this investment scheme to help protect river water quality in Usk is a key priority for us. We are committed to play our part to achieve this and our Community Fund enables us to support projects and initiatives which play such an essential role in binding together communities like the one in Usk".
Steve added: "Our research with Natural Resources Wales of the River Usk shows that our assets such as treatment works and 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. While our £1 0million investment in Usk will reduce our contribution, it will not reduce the contributions others make to the river. We are however committed to working collaboratively with them where we can as ultimately we all care for the river and want to ensure we pass it on in a better condition to our future generations".
Any community group, club or organisation wishing to apply to the grant can do so by visiting www.dwrcymru.com/Usk.