United Utilities responds to Tim Farron sewage criticism

An interactive map published on the Rivers Trust website shows how much raw faeces went into nature in some of the most idyllic spots in Cumbria. 

At Coniston Pumping Station the sewer storm overflow spilled 138 times for a total of 2710 hours (112 days) worth of sewage discharged into Church Beck, and out into Coniston.

Coniston on the Rivers Trust website (Image: Rivers Trust) 

At Hawkshead Pumping Station, sewage went into Black Beck, which then went into Esthwaite Water, 67 times for a total of 1372 hours (57 days). 

Hawkshead Pumping Station (Image: Rivers Trust)

At Greenodd Pumping Station, which connects to the River Leven estuary and then out into Morecambe Bay, sewage discharged 60 times for a total of 676 hours (28 days).

 Greenodd Pumping Station (Image: Rivers Trust)

The map gives hydraulic capacity as the reason why Greenodd and Hawkshead pumping stations discharged sewage into water bodies and it is this that the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron put to Government ministers. 

"The option here is obvious and that is to force the water companies to invest their profits – not over a 20 year period, but to do it now – to make sure that the water in the rivers and the lakes of the Lake District, the Dales and the rest of the country are not polluted by sewage," he said.

READ MORE: Action taken by Environment Agency over Cark Pumping Station

“We must ensure that the environmental risk, the public health risk, the risk to animal welfare and to our economy is not allowed to continue."

Mr Farron wants it to be against the law for water companies to dump so much raw sewage into nature. He said that water companies are not investing enough in their infrastructure to deal with the problem. 

Tim Farron wants it to be illegal for water companies to dump so much sewage (Image: Tim Farron)

A United Utilities spokesman said: “During storm conditions, when sewers are running at full capacity, we are permitted to spill excess storm water from storm overflows to help prevent the flooding of streets, homes and businesses.

“Over the past twenty years, we have already invested £1.2bn improving storm overflows to reduce the amount and impact of spills, and we’ll be investing a further £230m in the next two years at more overflow sites to improve 184km of waterways across the North West.”