Jonah Fisher, BBC’s environment correspondent, reports from Windermere about the concerning issue of sewage spills into Britain’s largest lake, as suggested by an analysis of water company data by campaigners. The analysis, exclusively accessed by the BBC, revealed that United Utilities had been discharging sewage into Windermere illegally on 140 days in 2024, the highest number in recent years. Despite these findings, United Utilities refuted the campaigners’ claims, citing inaccuracies and errors in the data.
Regulators, including Ofwat and the Environment Agency, are currently investigating United Utilities’ operations in light of these allegations. Ofwat, in particular, recently uncovered “serious failures” in Yorkshire Water’s treatment plant and network, resulting in a £40m enforcement action. The campaigner’s analysis highlighted multiple instances of illegal spills at six sewage facilities around the lake, totaling 140 days in 2024, pointing to a systemic issue that needs to be addressed.
Prof Peter Hammond, from the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, emphasized that such prolonged illegal spills indicate negligence in maintenance or oversight. The regulators have been conducting a major criminal investigation into water companies to ensure compliance with environmental permits. United Utilities’ response to the concerns raised indicated a discrepancy in methodologies and data interpretation, leading to inaccurate conclusions.
The campaigners have brought to light the detrimental effects of prioritizing profit over environmental protection, calling attention to the failure of privatization in safeguarding natural resources like Windermere. The upcoming increase in bills for United Utilities customers, exceeding the rate of inflation, aims to fund the largest investment in water and wastewater infrastructure in over a century. This investment is crucial for upgrading wastewater treatment works and reducing overflows into the lake, addressing the urgent need for environmental protection in the area
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