A “disgusting” sewage smell in Llanbadarn Fawr will be investigated by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water after residents complained that the “unacceptable” odour was causing families “distress.”

Llanbadarn Fawr resident Emily Hall told the Cambrian News that very soon after moving to the area she and her family noticed a terrible smell of sewage, particularly in the evenings.

“We smell faeces in the air around Llanbadarn Fawr on a daily basis, sometimes in the daytime, but most often between 10pm and midnight,” she said.

“It is absolutely disgusting.

“We have to close our windows, even on hot summer nights.

“It is entirely unacceptable that my family and I, as well as the other residents of Llanbadarn, should be subjected to this appalling smell.”

Emily has written to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to get answers and ask them to “rectify the problem”, calling on the company to “invest in the sewage system of Aberystwyth”, which she “believes is not fit for purpose”.

She called on Dwr Cymru “to upgrade the sewage works at Glanyrafon so that the residents of Llanbadarn Fawr no longer have to put up with the daily olfactory assault of human faeces.”

Dwr Cymru told the Cambrian News that investigations of the sewage treatment plant in Llanbadarn to identify the source of the smell were ongoing, with specialist contractors being brought in.

Emily, who has also contacted Ceredigion MP Ben Lake for assistance, said: “It is an issue that causes me and my family distress on a daily basis. The smell is genuinely disgusting, and is a daily occurrence.”

A Dwr Cymru spokesperson told the Cambrian News they are “aware of recent reports of odour in the Llanbadarn area linked to our nearby wastewater treatment works and have been undertaking investigations to identify the source.”

“This has included installing odour monitors at the works and bringing in specialist odour contractor to review the treatment process at the site,” the Dwr Cymru spokesperson said.

“These investigations can take time but once complete, we will be in better position to fully understand the cause and the steps needed to take to address it.

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience being caused by the odour and thank people for bearing with us while we complete our investigations.”

The village has previously suffered from sewage odour problems linked to the wastewater treatment works site located between Glanyrafon and Blaendolau.

Similar stories were reported dating back more than 15 years, and Emily said it “has clearly been an issue for a long time”.

But Dwr Cymru said the “previous reports of odour from back in 2004 were linked to a digestor at the works which has since been removed so there isn’t any link between the odour then and the reports of odour now”.