Statement: marine algae and pollution concerns on River Tywi, Carmarthen

Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, NRW, said:

“Since receiving suspected pollution reports, NRW officers have been out in the area carrying out site visits and taking environmental samples as part of our investigation.

“Our teams have gathered evidence and assessed conditions in and around the River Tywi.

“The sampling and analysis completed so far has identified and confirmed marine algae. At this time of year, naturally occurring marine algae is common and can become more noticeable during periods of warmer weather and increased sunshine.

“It can appear as foam, scum, discoloured water or deposits along the shoreline. Reports of odours also coincide with tide times, which can concentrate and move algae. 

“Separate to the presence of algae, our investigations this week have also led us to establishing a potential source of pollution into the river Tywi which we are investigating further. We cannot release further information at this present time to avoid jeopardising future enforcement action.

“We understand the concerns people have about the River Tywi and we take all reports of potential pollution seriously. NRW is actively regulating activities across the Tywi catchment and currently has a number of ongoing enforcement cases relating to activities along the river, including cases that are nearing court proceedings. Where we find evidence of non-compliance, we will take the appropriate action.

“Anyone who witnesses a suspected pollution incident should report it to NRW as soon as possible through our 24/7 incident hotline on 0300 065 3000 or via our online reporting service so that we can respond quickly.”