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Petition calls draining of reservoir 'vandalism'

Simone Bonetto-Jones Before the reservoir was drainedSimone Bonetto-Jones
Before: The reservoir was a popular beauty spot before it was drained, says an online petition

Hundreds of people have signed a petition describing the drainage of a beauty spot reservoir an act of "environmental vandalism".

Owner Welsh Water said it was developing plans to turn Clydach reservoir in Llanwonno forest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, into a natural lake as it had not been used to supply drinking water since 2004 .

Jake Castle, who started the petition which has more than 500 names, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the site was now an "absolute mess".

The online petition said the reservoir has become an "incredibly important place" for the nearby communities of Ynysybwl, Pontypridd, Cwmaman, Ferndale, Perthcelyn and Mountain Ash.

Julian Roberts The reservoir has been drainedJulian Roberts
After: The reservoir, photographed and posted to social media on 1 April, will be turned into a natural lake, according to Welsh Water

"Not only does it help improve the physical health of local people... it has a hugely positive benefit on our mental health and wellbeing," it said.

The petition said the reservoir could be used to "manage flood risk by storing and slowly releasing flood water, lowering the peak flows of the Clydach and Taff rivers".

It went on to say that as well as being an important wildlife habitat, its water was also used to tackle forest fires during the summer.

Welsh Water said previously that it had a "lot of work to do in developing the plans, which we will share with the local community once they are complete".

"We would also like to reassure the local community that protecting the wildlife on site is a priority for us.

"We engaged with Natural Resources Wales before we commenced the draining of the reservoir, and we will continue to engage with them as we develop the plans for the work."

Welsh Water Clydach reservoir as pictured by Welsh WaterWelsh Water
Clydach reservoir, pictured in mid April, is in the process of being drained, says Welsh Water

In an updated statement, Welsh Water said it was aware of the petition and was still working on plans, which will be shared with the community in coming weeks.

“While there has been no formal public access to the reservoir, we are looking to make a formal right of way to give people better access in future if possible.

“To help us with the planning for the work, we have started to drain the reservoir, which we appreciate may have caused some confusion locally, and for which we’re sorry."