Council ‘committed’ to preserving Mon and Brec Canal amid water supply concerns

Caerphilly County Borough Council said it is “committed” to preserving the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal amid ongoing concerns about water supply issues.

The local authority said it had invested more than £500,000 in desilting works on the canal, as well as repairing and improving other infrastructure.

Lower sections of the historic canal have become “dried up” and water is “almost non-existent in places”, a Newport councillor for Rogerstone warned recently.

He raised concerns about a “deliberate lack of waterflow” from Caerphilly – which was later confirmed to relate to a blocked-off culvert in Risca.

Welsh Water said it had closed the culvert to mitigate against pollution caused by “misconnections” of pipes from homes to a drainage network.

But the firm said the culvert in question was not a “strategic source of canal water” and would only provide “limited flows” to the Mon and Brec in the drier months.

A warm spring and summer have added to the canal’s water supply problems, which its operators said have been largely caused by legal changes to water abstraction policies.

Previously, the River Usk provided “80% to 90%” of the canal’s supply, but new legislation has restricted how much water can be provided in this way.

Welsh Water has struck a deal to provide extra water during the current financial year, and the Welsh Government has pledged to set up a special group, bringing organisations together to secure the canal’s future.

Against this backdrop and the concerns about the blocked off culvert in Risca, a spokesperson said Caerphilly County Borough Council is “committed to collaborative working” and will “continue to engage openly” with Newport City Council, environment agency Natural Resources Wales and the canal’s operators “to maintain this valued heritage asset”.

“Over the past few years, Caerphilly Council has invested over half a million pounds in desilting known problem areas along the canal to improve water conveyance,” the council spokesperson said.

“In addition, we have installed gabion baskets to help control silt and debris, ensuring the canal channel remains clear and water levels are maintained.”

Further canal works include the installation of boards “specifically designed to help maintain water levels during drier periods”.

The council has spent £50,000 each on drainage improvements near Rogerstone and culvert repair in Risca, and a further £20,000 on replacing equipment in Cwmcarn.

“The canal feed was reinstated in early March, in line with our usual seasonal operations – however, as with any open water system, prolonged dry weather and increased evaporation can significantly reduce water availability, which is likely contributing to the current low levels,” the spokesperson added.