Water monitoring programme launched as Welsh river turns orange

An urgent water monitoring programme has been launched after a ten kilometre stretch of the Neath River in Wales turned orange.

The pollution has affected the river between Abergarwed and Neath and the Environment Agency, which is conducting the water quality investigation, has claimed that there are a number of fish in distress.

The source of the pollution is still unknown, but the EA claims it is doing everything it can to find the cause.

Speaking to the South Wales Evening Post, Gavin Bown, from EA Wales, thanked the people who reported the pollution.

"Our priority is to minimise the impact of the pollution on the local environment and investigate how and why this has happened," he added.

One local resident claimed that the area is riddled with old mines and suggested that one of these could be responsible for turning the water orange.

Recently, Northern Ireland Water was fined for reducing water quality in the Drumaness river after a series of sewage pumping station incidents.

Posted by Claire Manning