Welsh Water to pay out £44.7m over sewage spills after 'serious' failures

Welsh Water will pay 44.7 million pounds after failures in its sewage network led to spills, with Ofwat approving a redress package aimed at reducing spills and improving river quality. The package allocates 40.6 million to decrease overflows and curb groundwater intrusion, plus 4.1 million to improve river health in especially sensitive catchments. The payout will be funded by Welsh Water and not passed to customers, even as bills rose 4.8 percent in April to an average of 683 pounds. The regulator stressed that serious breaches necessitated corrective action as the company works to restore trust.