January 24, 2026 - 185 views
Families, wildlife and rural communities across Wales are set to benefit from cleaner rivers following a national Water Summit that reviewed progress on improving water quality.
The summit, chaired by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, brought together Welsh Government ministers, regulators, farming unions, industry representatives and environmental organisations. Discussions focused particularly on the role of agriculture in tackling pollution and restoring river health.
Addressing delegates, Mr Irranca-Davies said water was central to Welsh life but faced “complex, interconnected and longstanding” pressures. He said collaboration between government, regulators, farmers and environmental groups was beginning to show progress, but acknowledged there was more work to do.
Natural Resources Wales reported that compliance with agricultural pollution rules has improved, with rates rising from 37 per cent to 47 per cent following increased engagement with farms. Enforcement funding has also been increased to £1.58 million for 2025–26, as part of a wider £4.13 million commitment.
The Welsh Government confirmed it is making changes to agricultural pollution regulations following an independent review. A Task and Finish Group has been established to work through the recommendations in stages, with the aim of making the rules clearer, more proportionate and more focused on activities that pose the greatest environmental risk.
Ministers also highlighted financial support aimed at helping farmers invest in more sustainable practices. The government has committed £69 million towards nutrient management and slurry storage improvements, with more than 540 expressions of interest submitted during the latest funding window.
Work is continuing through the Nutrient Trading Group to explore the development of a nutrient trading platform, which the Welsh Government says could offer new market-based solutions to improve water quality while creating economic opportunities for farmers and landowners.
Two further initiatives were discussed at the summit. A new application window for the Integrated Natural Resources Scheme is expected to open later this year, targeting projects that improve water quality through nature-based, landscape-scale interventions. In addition, the potential for farm-level pilot projects to support changes arising from the review of the Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations was explored, with feedback to be considered by the Task and Finish Group.
Concluding the summit, the Deputy First Minister said the goal was to achieve healthier rivers alongside a sustainable and profitable farming sector, stressing that responsibility for improving water quality is shared across multiple sectors.
A Welsh Government Green Paper on the future of water governance in Wales is due to be published next month, marking the next stage in shaping long-term policy on water management.
