A Powys councillor has urged a union to “get your house in order before taking more Welsh water”, after they suggested taking water from mid Wales to London.

Glantwymyn Councillor Elwyn Vaughan criticised GMB London’s suggestion that water be moved from Lake Vyrnwy to London, via the river Severn, the Cotswold canals, into the river Thames, to help with foreseeable periodic droughts in London and the South East.

Cllr Vaughan said: “Get your house in order and stop trying to take all the resources from Wales all the time.

“You pay pittance for what is already taken, merely 3p tonne or 1,000 litres. Yet water industry bosses are paid a fortune with reports that Thames Water bosses were awarded bonuses of £2.4million in 2020 and 2021, despite the company losing up to a quarter of all its water from leaks.

“Likewise, build the long awaited new reservoir at Abingdon, a proposal which has been circulating since 2006 and restart the desalination plant to assist matters.

“The Gateway Water Treatment Works in Beckton, east London, takes water from the Thames Estuary, treats is and makes drinking water. It was completed in 2010 to be used during dry weather events.

“It has the capacity to deliver up to 100 million litres of water a day - it has been used during dry spells to boost Thames Water’s reservoirs in London - yet has been switched off during the current hot spell.

“This further highlights the need for water to be seen as a valuable resource, a commodity and Wales is fortunate to have it, however we cannot allow it to be taken and used by large corporations and fritted away whilst our communities get pittance from it.

“Imagine the benefits to Powys if we merely got 1p a litre for it - the financial problems of our public services locally would be solved.”