OVERFLOWS at a sewage plant into a Wye tributary brook that have been going on for over a month are illegal, and could lead to enforcement action against the water company, the Government’s environment watchdog says.

Untreated spills from Welsh Water’s Kingsland waste water treatment works by the Pinsley Brook, a tributary of the Lugg west of Leominster, which meets the Wye at Mordiford near Fownhope, have continued on each day since March 1, online monitoring data shows.

A Welsh Water spokesperson previously said high volumes of groundwater entering the system at the plant were overwhelming it, that it was looking into work to address the issue, and the spillage would anyway be a “heavily diluted” mix of rainwater and groundwater.

But now a spokesperson for the Environment Agency (EA) has said: “This is not a permitted storm overflow and as such these discharges are illegal.

“We are actively investigating the situation and will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action.”

Welsh Water has been asked to comment.

According to the EA, all storm overflows at sewage treatment works now have event duration monitors, with the data relayed online, enabling it to hold water companies to account.

Last July it prosecuted Welsh Water for excessive sewage discharges from its Clehonger sewage treatment works west of Hereford, leading to a fine of £24,000 and further costs of nearly £12,000.

David Gillam, who chairs local environmental umbrella group Save the Wye Coalition, said: “It’s not clear to us from Welsh Water’s response how they mean to prevent the spillage.

“Will it simply go on and on?”