Record number of illegal sewage spills in Windermere last year

The company declined to put in writing, despite repeated requests, any specific examples of mistakes or omissions.

Regulators Ofwat and the Environment Agency are both currently investigating United Utilities operations.

The longest illegal spill the analysis identified was for 10 days from Hawkshead pumping station, which flows into Windermere via Cunsey Beck.

"This is an indication that their works have not been maintained properly or they're not being watched over properly," says Prof Peter Hammond, a mathematican and retired academic from campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution.

Prof Hammond's analysis of water company data has been cited by regulators and he has been praised in Parliament by water company executives for bringing problems to light they were previously unaware of.

The latest analysis covers four years of data from six sites that discharge sewage into the Lake Windermere catchment.

Comparisons over a longer time period are impossible as United Utilities has only had made full data sets available since 2021.

The regulators Ofwat and the Environment Agency have since 2021 been investigating whether the water companies have been treating enough sewage before they start to spill. The EA call it a "major criminal investigation" while Ofwat call it "the largest and most complex Ofwat has ever undertaken".

Last week Yorkshire Water agreed to a £40m "enforcement action" after Ofwat uncovered "serious failures" in how it operated its treatment plant and network.

Ofwat declined to comment on the campaigner's findings as their investigation into United Utilities is ongoing.

In response to concerns about United Utilities the Environment Agency last year reviewed all of its environmental permits in the Windermere catchment and says this led directly to the water company tripling its investment plans for the area to £200m.

"We are currently carrying out investigations into suspected pollution incidents on the Windermere catchment and are unable to comment on these in detail until they have reached a conclusion," an EA spokesperson said when the campaigners' analysis was shared with them.

"Where we find breaches of environmental permits, we will take the appropriate enforcement action up to and including a criminal prosecution."

"What we're seeing is the failure of privatisation. We're seeing a prioritisation of dividend returns over the long-term environmental protection of places like Windermere" says Matt Staniek from Save Windermere.

"The bill payer has paid for a service that has never fully been provided, and the illegality demonstrates that for all to see."

Over the next five years bills in the United Utilities area will go up by 32% above the rate of inflation. On average that will mean a rise of £86 for the year that starts in April.

Louise Beardmore said the rises will fund the "largest investment in water and wastewater infrastructure in over 100 years".

For Windermere that's set to mean nine wastewater treatment works, including two that were included in the campaigners' analysis being upgraded and a reduction in the number of overflows discharging into the lake.