Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is set to invest a record £430 million in 2018-19 in capital projects – amounting to more than £1 million a day and more than ever before.

The utility has also confirmed increased support from the company totalling £7 million to help fund lower bills for low-income households over the next year.

The ongoing capital investments in water and wastewater services – provided to over three million people across most of Wales and Herefordshire – include:

• Anglesey – £15 million to clean and replace 280km (174 miles) of pipe in Anglesey to ensure we continue to provide safe and reliable drinking water to over 60,000 customers.
• Rhondda – £23 million to ensure security of supply and to alleviate issues with loss of supply or low water pressure currently experienced by customers in the Rhondda area.
• Hereford – More than £8 million to replace 7.5km (4.6 miles) of trunk main which will protect and improve drinking water supplies for around 13,000 customers.
• Bodelwyddan – £7 million to improve the water cleaning processes at Glascoed Water Treatment Works which serves customers in the Bodelwyddan, Kinmel Bay and surrounding areas in North Wales
• Prioress Mill – Around £24 million investment to build a new pumping station in Usk where water is extracted from the River Usk and pumped to Llandegfedd Reservoir – in order to improve the natural habitat in the river.
• Hook & Johnston – £9 million in a brand new wastewater treatment works and pumping station which will help further protect the environment, reduce flooding and improve river water quality in South Pembrokeshire
• Tenby & Saundersfoot – £2 million in both Tenby and Saundersfoot to improve bathing water quality and reduce the risk of pollution

The £7 million of additional funding for low-income households covers the company’s flagship social tariff, HelpU, and other support to build on a large number of low-earning customers already accessing support to pay their bills – with around 90,000 of those genuinely struggling receiving support.

The company is well ahead of schedule to meet its target of supporting more than 100,000 by 2020 and is currently an industry leader in supporting low-earning households to pay their bills.

Welsh Water Chief Executive Chris Jones said the investments were a direct benefit of the utility’s unique not-for-profit way of working, which allows it to invest the money it makes back into the business and to the benefit of customers.