Lake District: Anger over eight-day sewage dump into Windermere

Water companies are legally allowed to allow untreated sewage to flow from pumping stations after periods of heavy rain.

Two sites that flow into Windermere - Hawkshead Pumping Station into Esthwaite Water and Near Sawrey Waste Water Treatment Works into Cunsey Beck – discharged for eight continuous day from August 22.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron accused the water industry of putting 'profit before the environment.' 

Feargal Sharkey supporting the Save Windermere protest earlier this year (Image: Newsquest, Daniel Pye)

He called the sewage discharges 'absolutely appalling,' adding: "We desperately need a new regulator with teeth that will take action against United Utilities for this environmental vandalism.”

Regulator The Environment Agency (EA) said it knows water companies being able to dump raw sewage legally 'can be seen as controversial'.

A spokesman said: "Storm overflows are designed to relieve pressure caused by surface water entering the sewerage network during periods of heavy rain.

"We know this is seen as a controversial practice, but the EA must operate within the current law and storm overflows can be allowed in certain circumstances during heavy rain."

United Utilities said overflows are 'designed to operate during heavy rainfall' which the area has seen over previous weeks. 

The former frontman of The Undertones Feargal Sharkey, who has now become a prominent water campaigner, pushed back on this. Mr Sharkey told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "We live on an island in the north Atlantic, heavy rain does not count [as exceptional]."

Speaking on the issue of the eight day sewage dump, the EA added: "We understand the concern in the community regarding these discharges and we are working with United Utilities to ensure improvements are made in the next investment programme." 

A spokesperson from United Utilities reiterated that recent statistics showed that 'more than double the amount of average rainfall' was experienced.

They added: "So far this year, August has seen more rainfall than in any other month and it is the fourth wettest of the 44 months since January 2021.

“Storm overflows prevent homes and businesses from flooding - we understand and share people’s concerns about their use, which is why we have invested hundreds of millions of pounds in recent years to reduce the number of times they operate."

Mr Farron added: “I will be pushing for the Government’s new bill in Parliament to include measures for a complete reform of the water industry – an industry which has put profit before the environment for far too long.” 

The Water Bill outlined in the first King's Speech will strengthen regulation to ensure water bosses face personal criminal liability for lawbreaking if it passes through Parliament. It would also give the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met.