Water quality is undoubtedly a significant issue for communities right across Wales.

And that couldn’t be more so than in Usk.

The people of Usk rightly take immense pride in the River Usk, where the landmark has been a constant for generations.

So, it really hasn’t come as any surprise that hundreds of local residents in Usk have reacted in fury to our River Usk being heavily polluted.

Week-in-week-out messages flood my inbox from concerned constituents.

By opting to do nothing will only exacerbate the situation.

That is why I acknowledge and welcome the recent steps being taken by Welsh Water, in particular reducing the impact of overflows on the Usk and surrounding catchment area.

The upcoming work to the Usk Pumping Station, as well as the planned instalment of additional phosphorous strippers, are also huge steps in the right direction, but implementing regulation is fundamental to ensure lasting change.

I challenged the First Minister Mark Drakeford on this wholly unacceptable situation last week, where I asked him what message he could give to reassure communities in the Usk catchment that the government is on top of this situation.

The River Usk desperately needs constructive and effective action from the Welsh Government to improve its water quality. It’s also really important that the Welsh Government’s regulator – NRW – has the capacity and resources to effectively manage pollution on the River Usk from wherever that occurs.

Sadly, many people to date feel that hasn’t been the case.

The River Usk now needs action to ensure that it returns to its former glory to enable biodiversity to flourish and create an area for all to enjoy.

But, for this to happen, we desperately need the Welsh Government to get a grasp of the issue.