Our Vision

A river watched by its communities is a river protected for future generations.

 

Teifi Community River Watch exists to inspire that shared responsibility. By connecting people, evidence and action, we help turn local observations into practical solutions, ensuring the River Teifi and its tributaries (nant's and afon's) remain healthy, resilient and full of life.

 

Watching the river today, protecting it for tommorow

Outcome ambition

 

A Teifi that is cleaner, cooler, more reslient, richer in wildlife and trusted by the communities that live beside it. 

The Challenge

 

Despite its protected status, the Teifi faces serious pressure. A 2023 analysis identified it as the most sewage-polluted river in Wales and among the most polluted in the UK. And in 2025 the River Teifi is officially "TOP OF THE POOPS". Not a title anyone wants. According to 2025 sewage spill data, the River Teifi ranks #1 in England and Wales for sewage discharge hours, with 27,661 hours recorded. Nutrient enrichment, agricultural runoff, wastewater discharges, infrastructure constraints, and climate change are cumulatively threatening the ecological sustainability of the river.

 

The consequences extend beyond ecology. Bird watchers, anglers, wildlife enthusiasts, and nature-based tourists visit the Teifi specifically for its wildlife and natural beauty. Pollution damages that visitor economy, reducing footfall to local businesses, undermining community pride, and deterring the visitors who contribute so much to the rural economies of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

 

The Teifi supports communities, agriculture, tourism, businesses and wildlife. All place demands on a finite river system. The evidence shows that parts of that system are already under significant environmental and infrastructure pressure. The challenge is therefore to reduce pollution at source, increase wastewater resilience, improve land management and ensure that economic activity operates within the environmental capacity of the catchment.

 

The question is no longer simply whether the Teifi is polluted. It is whether the combined pressures of nutrients, low flows and rising temperatures are pushing the river towards an ecological tipping point from which recovery becomes much more difficult.

The Approach 

A community-led, no-blame, evidence-based initiative that:

  • Engages all stakeholders — from farmers and water companies to bird watchers, anglers, and local businesses
  • Works constructively with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) within the statutory framework.
  • Builds a shared, transparent picture of river health across the catchment.
  • Advocates for practical environmental and ecological improvements.
  • Strengthens the community voice for a clean, thriving, and sustainable Teifi.

The Objective

To bring together all parts of the system — communities, farmers, land managers, bird watchers, anglers, businesses, DCWW, NRW, and other statutory bodies — to improve shared understanding of the river's condition and support better outcomes for its ecological health, environmental sustainability, and the communities and visitors that depend upon it.

 

The River Teifi belongs to no single organisation. Its future depends on everyone who lives, works, visits and cares for the catchment. Protecting and restoring the river is a shared responsibility, with every individual and organisation making a unique contribution to watching over the river today and protecting it for tomorrow.

Key Organisations

  • Welsh Government – Sets water and environmental policy and strategic priorities.
  • Natural Resources Wales (NRW) – Regulates the environment, monitors rivers and enforces environmental law.
  • Ofwat – Regulates water company investment, performance and customer value.
  • Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) – Provides water and wastewater services and manages sewer infrastructure.
  • Local Authorities – Lead planning, sustainable drainage, local flood risk management and place-based environmental improvements.
  • Nutrient Management Boards - Responsible for identifying and delivering actions that achieve the phosphorus
    favourable conservation target of a river that is deemed a SAC, whilst also meeting socio-economic needs of its surrounding communities.

Key Stakeholders

  • Farmers and Land Managers – Produce the food we depend on while protecting soils, managing nutrients responsibly, reducing diffuse pollution and improving the long-term health of our rivers.
  • Businesses – Minimise their environmental footprint, comply with environmental regulations, use water responsibly and contribute to a sustainable local economy.
  • Communities – Watch over their local rivers, record and report issues, volunteer where they can and become informed advocates for healthier catchments.
  • Environmental and River Trusts – Deliver habitat restoration, conservation projects, scientific monitoring and community engagement to help rivers recover and thrive.
  • Anglers and Recreational Users – Act as the eyes and ears of the river by sharing observations, reporting pollution, supporting citizen science and championing healthy waterways.
  • Coracle Fishermen and the Teifi Coracle Netsmen's Association – Preserve one of the Teifi's oldest living traditions, passing on generations of knowledge, sustainable fishing practices and the unique cultural heritage that has shaped the river for centuries.
  • Landowners – Steward the river corridor, protect riparian habitats, enable responsible access where appropriate and work collaboratively to improve the resilience of the catchment.