Paul Davies, MS for Ceredigion Penfro, visited 3P Technik in Cardigan on Friday 2 October to discuss water reuse, rainwater harvesting and the growing challenges around stormwater management in Wales.
The visit followed Paul’s sponsorship of Water Reuse Week at the Senedd in September, and provided an opportunity to continue the conversation by looking at the practical technologies available to help Wales manage water more sustainably.
During his time with the 3P Technik team, discussions covered rainwater harvesting, stormwater treatment and the particular challenges presented by runoff from heavily trafficked roads.
Paul Davies MS (left) and Dr Glyn Hyett discussing Rainwater Reuse and Stormwater Treatment in front of a HydroShark Stormwater Treatment Device.
One area of particular interest was highway runoff and the pollutants that can be carried from roads into rivers and other surface waters. The discussion considered how highway outfalls are monitored, whether pollutants associated with road runoff are being adequately measured, and what more could be done to treat runoff from major routes such as the M4.
There was also discussion about the role that stormwater treatment systems could play in new road schemes and when upgrading existing highway drainage networks. 3P Technik develops multi-process stormwater treatment systems designed to remove a range of pollutants, including suspended solids, heavy metals and PAHs, from contaminated runoff.
Paul Davies said:
“It was also fascinating to learn more about 3P Technik’s expertise in stormwater treatment and rainwater harvesting and to discuss some of the wider challenges around how we manage water.
“One particularly interesting issue was highway runoff and the pollutants that can be washed from heavily trafficked roads into our watercourses. We hear a great deal about other sources of river pollution, so it is important that we also understand the impact our road network may be having and whether enough is being done to monitor and mitigate it.
“With periods of drought as well as increasingly intense rainfall presenting challenges for our communities, managing water more effectively and sustainably is only going to become more important.”
For 3P Technik, water reuse is an important part of the wider picture. Rainwater harvesting can reduce reliance on treated mains water by collecting and treating rainwater for applications such as toilet flushing, washing and irrigation, while sustainable drainage and stormwater treatment can help manage both the quantity and quality of runoff.
As Wales faces the combined challenges of water scarcity, intense rainfall and pressure on the quality of its rivers and surface waters, the need for practical, sustainable approaches to water management is becoming increasingly important.
We would like to thank Paul Davies MS for visiting 3P Technik and for taking the time to discuss these important issues with our team.