Water quality. Water quality in the catchment was raised in a number of consultation returns. Particular concerns related to sewage and CSO pollution, minewater pollution and industrial discharges.

Sewerage & CSOs. There are a number of private and D?r Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) owned sewage treatment works within the catchment. Most are of a relatively small scale, with the exception of Lletty Brongu STW, and Penybont STW which take numerous large trade and industrial discharges, including the Sony Factory, and the Bridgend Creamery. Most works have secondary treatment as a minimum.

The sewage system in the valleys dates back to early last century. There are approximately 85 Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) in the system, and these are particularly numerous in urbanised areas (e.g. 17 in Maesteg area alone). The improvement of sewage collection and treatment facilities owned by DCWW is managed through Asset Management Plans (AMPs). These plans are produced by the company in consultation with this Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (for potable water issues), DETR, National Assembly for Wales. The plans are drawn up to ensure compliance with European Directives, at a pace which both meets any relevant statutory timescale and is deemed to be appropriate and affordable to the water company reflecting its customers views.

Improvements in the Garw Valley were completed in 1997. Improvements to both Lletty Brongu STW and some 40 unsatisfactory CSO discharges in the Llynfi, Ogmore and Ewenny valleys were scheduled for improvement under the AMP2 programme. Improvements to Lletty Brongu STW, involving modifications to the existing filter beds were completed in 1998; these improvements are currently being assessed to determine whether further work is required. Improvements to the Ogmore Valleys CSOs were scheduled for completion by March 2000, however DCWW had insufficient funds available to complete the work, and carryover into the AMP3 programme was therefore necessary. The deadline for completion of these works is currently March 2003. Penybont STW is also scheduled for improvements under the AMP3 programme. A reduction in effluent BOD was achieved by December 2000, and the deadline for all other improvements is currently the 31st March, 2003. The Agency will continue to take a proactive approach to pollution prevention and control in the catchment to minimise the risk to the environment from consented and accidental discharges from sewage treatment works, water treatment works, and combined sewer overflows.

Industrial discharges. One group of consultees expressed concern about the industrial discharges of the industrial estate at Brynmenyn on the Gawr.

No recent incidents (during the last twelve months) have been forwarded to the Agency with regard to polluting discharges from the surface water outfall for the site. Environment Management officers are not currently aware of any significant issues at Brynmenyn that are likely to pollute the nearby River Ogmore.

Under a separate initiative, Agency Environment Management officers are currently contacting each of the Angling clubs in the area with a view to ‘walking the river’ and identifying issues with them.

Endocrine disrupters. One respondent raised concerns in relation to the potential effects of endocrine disrupters from pollutants in the watercourse.

As the Environment Agency has a range of statutory duties that aim to protect the environment, particularly fisheries, through effective control of pollution, it must consider how best to manage endocrine disrupting substances and minimise adverse health effects. The Environment Agency's

position has been to continue to undertake research to understand why endocrine disruption is occurring, to prove what's causing it and to seek better ways of managing these chemicals. Moreover, the Environment Agency has engaged other stakeholders, particularly the water and chemical industries, in order to develop risk management approaches (removal of chemicals such as nonylphenol from use; develop more effective treatment technologies to remove steroid oestrogens).

The belief of the Environment Agency is that there is now a sufficient evidence of harm to fish to develop a risk management strategy for oestrogens in sewage effluent. This strategy is likely to require changes in sewage treatment practices requiring development of new technology for some sewage treatment plants. This has to be carefully targeted, properly costed and funded.

Over the next two years (2002-2003) the Environment Agency will confirm which sewage treatment works should be considered high risk. It will continue its research into setting relevant targets (chemical standards, and biological effects) to protect the environment. It believes that the water industry should now start to investigate treatment technologies for the removal of priority oestrogens.
The Environment Agency is calling for an initial study on the feasibility of risk management options in 2003-4, followed by detailed studies on the implementation of these at several priority sites in 2005-2007, within the AMP4 programme. It proposes that these should be undertaken through collaborative programmes with the water industry and other relevant (Brighty G., Environment Agency, 2002).

Mine effluent. One group of respondents gave details of an abandoned minewater discharge in the Garw Valley. The Agency currently holds a database of all known abandoned minewater discharges in Wales. Two discharges affecting the River Garw feature on this database – one at Llangeinor and one near Pont-y-Rhyl on the Garw Fechan.

The Agency is currently working in partnership with the Coal Authority and other statutory bodies to develop a prioritised programme of remediation for abandoned mine discharges throughout the UK. The assessment method for assigning priority is being revised, but is currently based on the length of river impacted and the likely benefits of remediation (for instance opening up spawning habitat). Two minewater discharges in the Ogmore catchment currently feature on the National priority listing for the Coal Authority Minewater Remediation Programme, at Nant y Ffyllon and Cwm Cedfw. However, neither discharge is considered to be high priority for remediation. The significance of the impact of the discharges on the Garw is not currently considered great enough for these to feature on the National priority list.

Japanese Knotweed. Some respondents were concerned that not enough is being done in certain parts of the catchment to tackle the spread of Japanese Knotweed. The Agency’s Flood Defence function currently use a spraying programme to target Japanese Knotweed growth on land adjacent to watercourses which the Agency either owns or maintains. Spraying techniques have been found to be the most efficient use of resources in combating the spread of Japanese Knotweed. However, in catchments such as the Ogmore where the Knotweed is already widespread, large spraying programmes are simply not feasible. It is hoped that a more sustainable solution will be found for the control of Knotweed using biological control. Early phases of research are promising but much work will need to be completed before this approach becomes a reality.

Water abstraction. Some respondents expressed concerns over the impact of abstractions on the river. The Agency is currently developing Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS) for all its main rivers. CAMS will make more information on water resources publicly available and enable us to establish the needs of abstractors and other water users along with those of the aquatic environment. From a fisheries perspective, the resource assessment part of the Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy process for the Ogmore will involve working out an 'environmental weighting score' (EW) which will help to establish the sensitivity of the river ecology to abstraction. Fisheries data (along with macro-invertebrate, macrophyte and physical habitat data) are used to calculate the EW score. This process helps to identify an objective minimum flow and flow variability required to protect the river ecology. A licensing strategy is then developed based on this information.

The strategies will be developed in consultation with the local community and other interested parties. The River Ogmore is included in the Neath, Afan and Ogmore CAMS. Work starts on this CAMS in 2002 and the final strategy will be published in 2004. As with all CAMS, this will be reviewed every six years.

Protection of the riparian zone. Comments received from Bridgend County Borough Council stressed the importance of the protection and enhancement of the riparian zone in terms of its natural and semi-natural resources. This is fundamental to the promotion of viable salmon stocks.

Bridgend County Borough Council is currently drafting a Riparian Habitat Action Plan for the River Ogmore. This is being prepared in partnership with the Environment Agency Wales, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales. The plan identifies a series of issues affecting the Ogmore catchment such as river management works, japanese knotweed and bank erosion.

Catch and Release. A number of consultees expressed support for the practice of ‘catch and release’. Current reported catch and release figures are reasonably good for the Ogmore. During 2001, 26 out of 62 salmon caught were released, equating to 42% of the total catch.

The Agency promotes the philosophy of catch and release which studies have shown to be an effective conservation measure. Moreover, catch and release is one of the ways that economically important sport fisheries can continue to operate whilst reducing impact on spawning. The additional contribution of catch and release to egg deposition can be significant. In order to achieve the best results from catch and release, larger fish of both sexes should be returned. Studies by Webb 1998 showed survival rates of 84% for caught and released Atlantic salmon, if fish are handled correctly. A more recent study by Dempson et al., 2002, found only 8.2% mortality in Atlantic Salmon caught and released on the Conne River, Newfoundland. The EA has published a booklet and produced a video to help anglers ensure survival rates are high. Catch and release represents a method whereby anglers can directly improve the spawning success of salmon and sea trout.

Funding. Some respondents raised concerns over the availability of funding for many of the actions proposed in the SAP.

Nationally, the Environment Agency currently spends about £8.5 million on salmon and sea trout fishery management, for which the two main sources of funding are licence income from anglers and grant-in-aid (GiA). In Wales, grant-in-aid has been cut back substantially over the last decade. However, the Agency is very pleased that the National Assembly has recently agreed to an additional £800, 000 GiA for each of the next 3 years to support the Agency’s fisheries work in Wales. This new money will fund work over the next three years to implement the some of the recommendations of the government appointed Review Group’s report on Fisheries Policy and Legislation. Funds are earmarked for several priority areas, including conserving and restoring salmon stocks, restoring fish habitats, removing barriers to fish migration and developing and restoring community fisheries.

Another source of funding relevant to the Ogmore is Objective 1, which is aimed at increasing employment opportunities in the most economically depressed areas of Europe. The Environment Agency is currently progressing a bid for over £5M for fisheries improvements in Wales.