A WATER company has announced plans to pump more than £150 million into its sites at Windermere to reduce sewage spills from storm overflows. 

United Utilities had previously put forward plans to invest more than £41 million which would reduce sewage spills from four storm overflows in the Windermere catchment.

Now it is proposing to make an additional £156 million of improvements across nine wastewater treatment works and all six storm overflows that discharge into the lake. 

Storm overflows spill to prevent flooding in the sewer system. Water companies are legally allowed to spill after periods of 'exceptional' rainfall. 

Windermere Wastewater Treatment Works with the lake in the backgroundWindermere Wastewater Treatment Works with the lake in the background (Image: Newsquest, Daniel Pye)

The funding proposed for 2025 and beyond would see improvements to wastewater treatment sites at: Ambleside; Far Sawrey; Ferry House; Grasmere; Hawkshead; Langdale; Near Sawrey; Outgate; and Troutbeck. 

The investment will improve treatment processes for phosphorus, ammonia, suspended solids and biological oxygen demand across those sites, the company says. 

Improvements to each of the six storm overflows will reduce spills to an average of 10 per annum per overflow, it is claimed.

United Utilities are seeking to pump in additional investment into the lakeUnited Utilities are seeking to pump in additional investment into the lake (Image: Pixabay)

Andrew Kendall, wastewater business lead for United Utilities in Cumbria, said: “Over the last two decades, we have invested millions of pounds upgrading our wastewater treatment sites, pumping stations and sewers around Windermere. The steps we have taken so far, and the investments proposed today demonstrate our commitment and ambition to helping to improve the environment across Windermere and beyond.

“The enhancement to our treatment works, and its associated infrastructure, will treat wastewater to even higher standards across Windermere, reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the lake.

“Together with the investment at all six overflows to reduce spills, we are making a step change to tackle the current challenges and deliver outcomes that benefit the environment and our communities for both today and the future.”

United Utilities said the latest proposed investment plans are in addition to work that is already underway, including:

  • £41 million of investment, helping to reduce spills by 75 per cent from around 388 per annum to 80; with the aim of bringing forward the completion date for this work by two years to early 2028
  • Preparatory works are due to start in the next few weeks at the following WwTWs: Ambleside; Elterwater; Hawkshead; and Near Sawrey
  • Creating an additional 2.6 million litres of storage at Ambleside and Windermere wastewater treatment works – the equivalent of around 33,000 bathtubs or just over an Olympic size swimming pool
  • Completing a further 22 schemes to tackle storm overflows elsewhere across Cumbria this year

The water company said that they are also deploying 'rapid solutions' at a number of sites across Cumbria to help reduce storm overflow operations.

Last month, Hawkshead Pumping Station and Near Sawrey Waste Water Treatment Works discharged sewage for eight days after heavy rainfall.