A FAMILY-RUN farm has been ordered to pay more than £13,000 after a catastrophic collapse of their slurry store polluted at least 12km of waterways.

Between 60,000 and 70,000 gallons of slurry was released in to a tributary of the Afon Clettwr Fach after a slurry store at Rhydsais Farm in Talgarreg collapsed on February 16, 2022.

That tributary flows into the Afon Clettwr Fach, which flows into the Afon Clettwr, which eventually flows into the Afon Teifi.

Natural Resources Wales launched an investigation, and water sample analysis showed “significant pollution levels” extending from Rhydsais Farm to the confluence of the Afon Clettwr with the Afon Teifi 12km away.

The collapse of the slurry store was initially reported to Natural Resources Wales by one of the directors of Rhydsais Cyf, and further reports of pollution downstream of the farm were made by members of the public.

On the day of the incident, the river downstream was found to be heavily discoloured and covered in foam, with a strong odour of slurry.

Six dead fish were discovered in the Afon Clettwr Fach the day after the incident. A Natural Resources Wales spokesperson said the total number of fish killed was likely higher than this due to the poor visibility in the water caused by the pollution, and due to the rivers being in high flow following rain.

A day after the incident, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water alerted Natural Resources Wales to unusually high levels of ammonia detected at the Llechryd Water Treatment Works abstraction point which supplies water to properties in south Ceredigion. The abstraction point was closed until ammonia levels had dropped. This higher level of ammonia could have have been due to the Rhydsais slurry flowing through, Natural Resources Wales said.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the collapsed slurry store had been in place since the 1970s and had not received any formal maintenance apart from visual inspections in the past decade.

Natural Resources Wales argued in court that the pollution was caused due to the slurry store being beyond its lifespan and not having been properly maintained.

Rhydsais Cyf was found guilty of causing activity in contravention of an environmental permit, which breached the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.

The company was ordered to pay a total of £13,035 at Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court on June 25, which included a £5,000 fine, £7,845 towards the costs incurred by Natural Resources Wales, and a surcharge of £190.

Dr Carol Fielding, team leader of the Ceredigion Environment Team, said: “The impact of this incident was felt well beyond the stream that the slurry entered. It damaged water quality and local wildlife within the catchment of the Afon Teifi.

“Every farmer has a duty to ensure their slurry stores are structurally sound to prevent such disasters. We will not hesitate to take enforcement action - including prosecution - when we have evidence of serious environmental breaches.

“We regulate and work with farmers to avoid damage to the environment and we encourage them to contact us or Farming Connect for advice and support.”

Advice for farmers can be found at naturalresources.wales/guidance-and-advice/business-sectors/farming., and support for farmers can be accessed via Farming Connect at: businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect.