As Welsh Water bills rise, service declines
In Penderyn, residents are frustrated by Welsh Water's service in their area. Water is reported to be cloudy and muddied, and sometimes not even running.
Hello and welcome to The Valleys Lead.
Thanks as always for joining us this week. Access to clean water is a human right. Yes? But for residents in Penderyn, in the Cynon valley, water hasn’t felt like a human right they’re entitled to. Even though their Welsh Water bills are going up, for the last two years, they’ve often not had any water, or had cloudy water with bits of mud in it. We spoke to residents and the councillors who represent them to find out what’s been going on.
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The Valleys Briefing
(A little round-up of some stories in brief from our valleys.)
🏠 Housing association Wales and West Housing has submitted formal plans to replace a nursery and a former bingo hall in Ystrad Mynach with 24 flats. The firm argues there is a shortage of affordable housing in the town, and demolishing the buildings in Bedwlwyn Road would provide an “immediate opportunity to provide much-needed” homes. Some residents have criticised the plans for a lack of off-street parking spaces, and said the redevelopment would worsen parking problems in the surrounding area. Around 50 people attended a residents’ meeting in January to voice their concerns, including claims it is “naïve” for the developer to think local streets could accommodate vehicles for 24 new homes.
🎭 A local council has now officially taken over ownership of a much loved arts and cultural venue in a Welsh town centre. In a statement Merthyr Tydfil Council has confirmed that it is now the owner of the Redhouse building which was previously owned by Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association. In January, councillors voted in favour of bringing the building back into council hands. The building has been closed since 2024 after Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association was unable to carry out a transfer of the building from the former leisure trust. In April 2024, Merthyr Tydfil’s leisure and cultural services returned to council control from the trust with the Redhouse set to return to its owner’s Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association. But the housing association said it was unable to gain detailed information from the leisure trust to allow it to understand the full liabilities that would likely transfer. As a result the decision was taken to close the building, but at a full council meeting on Wednesday, January 14 this year councillors unanimously voted to bring the Redhouse back into council ownership.
🚆 More than £5m has been awarded to transport projects across one Welsh county. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has confirmed the funding from Welsh Government for a wide range of transport projects in 2026/27 to support improvements to highways, public transport, active travel and road safety. The funding for RCT schemes totals over £5 million which will go towards major future transport schemes, local active travel improvements, safe routes in communities, road safety initiatives and better public transport connections. The Welsh Government funding is delivered via Cardiff Capital Region Regional Transport Fund 2026/27, and includes: £2.01 million to continue to develop the Cynon Gateway Link Road in the north of the Cynon Valley, improving connectivity between the A4059 and the A465, easing local transport pressures and supporting longer-term economic growth in the area. Also included is £1.369m for Porth park and ride phase three supporting the next phase of extra parking linked to the Porth Transport Hub and wider South Wales Metro improvements in a bid to make it easier for people to combine car, rail and bus journeys.
As Welsh Water bills rise, service declines
Over the last two years, Rebecca Griffiths has often turned on her tap to find that the water is either coming out incredibly slow, is grey in colour, has bits of mud in it, or the worst-case scenario – no water at all runs out.
“We’ve been told it is because the pump for all of Penderyn is old and needs to be changed,” Rebecca, 41, told The Valleys Lead.
Residents in Penderyn complain to Welsh Water every time it happens – often monthly – but are just told that “there isn’t an issue.”
Rebecca has two children and they refuse to drink the water when it comes out cloudy. She was advised by Welsh Water that the “cloudiness” was just air in the water, and it would clear if left long enough.
“He [the man from Welsh Water] said we could drink it, but it doesn’t taste right,” she said. “I keep bottled water so that we always have a supply when the water isn’t working.”
Even though the service Welsh Water provides to Penderyn is sub-par, residents have been receiving notice of increasing bills. In January 2025, Rebecca was paying £57 per month, and by October 2025, this figure rose to £93 per month.
“How can they justify the rise?” she asked. “It’s so frustrating for everybody.”
Natalie Noble is another resident and business owner heavily impacted by the “water issue” in Penderyn. Natalie runs The Red Lion Inn, a much-loved, family-run inn and restaurant in Penderyn.
“Whenever the water goes off, we’re the first to find out,” Natalie told The Valleys Lead.
