#Sewage dumped illegally in #Windermere over 3 years
by Joe Crowley
October 17, 2024
"A water company repeatedly dumped millions of litres of raw sewage illegally into one of #ngland's most famous lakes over a three-year period, the BBC can reveal.
"More than 140 million litres of waste were pumped into Windermere between 2021 and 2023 at times when it was not permitted, our analysis shows, and #UnitedUtilities failed to report most of it.
"It means the company's #IllegalDumping of #sewage into the lake went on for far longer, and was far more extensive, than was previously known.
"United Utilities said some of its sewage releases into #Windermere were 'potentially non-compliant' but that it #SelfReports 'over 94% of potential pollution incidents to the #EnvironmentAgency'.
"Matt Staniek, a campaigner against sewage pollution and founder of #SaveWindermere, said Windermere was 'the jewel in the crown of the #LakeDistrict #NationalPark, and it's being used as an open sewer'.
"It is sometimes necessary to release sewage into rivers and lakes to stop the wastewater system from being overwhelmed by #HeavyRain but this #pollution can damage the environment, causing harmful #AlgalBlooms and even killing fish.
"In January this year - after BBC Panorama revealed the company had downplayed the severity of dozens of #pollution incidents, some involving Windermere - United Utilities retrospectively reported some discharges into the lake from October 2023 onwards."