David Chadwick is calling for the health of local rivers to be more carefully monitored.

The Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP said in the Commons that he is in the honourable position of representing a constituency containing three “mighty rivers”.

He said the River Usk, the River Tawe and the “world-famous” River Wye all rise in the hills and mountains of Mid Wales and pass through his “giant constituency”.

Mr Chadwick told MPs: “All the water in the Wye ought to be considered a national treasure, stretching as it does across some of the most picturesque landscapes, providing habitats for an array of wildlife and supporting multiple communities through tourism and recreation.

“Yet sadly, the River Wye is dying at an astonishing speed. That is why strengthening the regulation of our water companies is understandably a major priority for my constituents.

“I know that my constituents are disgusted by the reality of sewage dumping, as many of them have told me so.

“Wild swimmers, anglers and kayakers are just three groups affected by sewage dumping and the knock-on impact that has on our local economy.

“Yet in Wales, the environmental regulator - Natural Resources Wales - is chronically underfunded and has faced decades of budget and staffing cuts by the Welsh Labour Government.

“Those cuts have left it unable to fulfil its role, meaning that the current legislation is not being properly enforced.

“NRW requested a minimum of 50 extra staff members just to do its job properly, and 250 additional staff members to do it well.

“The expansion of regulatory powers must be matched with the necessary resources to strengthen the regulator’s hand and to enable enforcement.”

Mr Chadwick said that despite the River Wye being probably the most famous case of river pollution in the UK, it might surprise some to learn that the other two rivers in his constituency, the Usk and the Tawe, are in even worse health, with all three sadly placing in the top 30 most sewage-filled rivers in the UK.

He said: “While I welcome the legislation strengthening the monitoring of emergency overflows, it is important to recognise that citizen scientists, such as the Friends of the Upper Wye and Save the River Usk, have been doing most of the legwork when it comes to telling us what exactly is in our rivers and where particular areas of concern are.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for community groups to have the right to representation on water company boards so that we bring back that local expertise on board.”

Mr Chadwick made the call in the Commons as part of a debate on the Water (Special Measures) Bill being introduced by the Government to reform the regulation of water companies.

Speaking after the Commons session, Mr Chadwick said: “If we are really to see an improvement in water quality across Wales, we need to see environmental duties placed at the heart of what water companies deliver.”