Illegal sewage spills in Windermere last year

According to the analysis of water company data by the campaigns, sewage is illegally poured into the UK’s largest lake in a record number last year.

The analysis, where the BBC was exclusively accessed, used United Utilities operational data to determine when the company has evacuated when the sewer has evacuated.

Campaigns and Windermere against Windrush to Sewerage Pollution (WASP) detected 140 illegal shedding days of more than three years in 2024.

United Utilities told BBC News that the findings of campaignists were “wrong” and some data “faulty”.

Despite repeated requests, the company refused to be written in writing in any sample of errors or negligence.

Wat and Environmental Agency regulators are currently investigating the operations of the united auxiliary projects.

Last week, the Environmental Agency said that United Utilities spilled 77,817 times in 2024, the highest figure of all UK water companies.

Most of the spills will be legal. All water companies are legally allowed to discharge from raw sewerage to prevent the depression of the network, which is now regularly during heavy rain.

However, almost all pumping stations and treatment plants work under an environmental permission that indicates that they need to process a certain amount of sewage and rain water or “move forward” before falling.

The campaigns gave a cross -reference to the United Assistant Program data clusters, which show when an asset was shed, and how much sewage it opposed at that time. The analysis of campaigns shared and examined with BBC found days when illegal spills occurred in each of the six sewage facilities around the lake, which was united in 2024 up to 140 days.

The longest illegal shedding of the identified analysis was 10 days from the Hawkshead Pump station flowing to Windermere through Cunsey Beck.

“This is an indication that his works are not properly protected or not properly watched.”

Prof Hammond’s water company data analysis was specified by regulators and was praised by water company managers in parliament because they brought problems to the light they were not aware of before.

The latest analysis includes four -year data from six areas discharged to the Windermere Lake basin.

It is impossible to compare it over a longer period of time, as United Utilities has only offered full data sets since 2021.

Wat and Environmental Agency regulators have been investigating whether water companies have been undergoing sufficient sewage treatment before 2021. EA calls it a “a big criminal investigation”, ofwat, “the biggest and most complex and complex,” he says.

Last week, Yorkshire Water accepted a “enforcement action” of 40 million pounds after revealing “serious failures” on how Ofwat operates the treatment facility and network.

Ofwat refused to comment on the findings of the campaignist as his investigations on the United Public Services continue.

In response to concerns about the United Public Services, last year, the Environmental Agency reviewed all the environmental permits in the Windermere basin, which led to the direct water company to raise its investment plans for 200 million pounds.

When an EA spokesman is shared with the analysis of campaignists, “We are currently investigating suspicious pollution events about the Windermere basin and we cannot comment on them until they reach a conclusion.” He said.

He continued: “Where we find violations of environmental permissions, we will take the appropriate practice of implementation until criminal prosecution.”

United Utilities, which serves more than seven million people in Northwest England, is more than £ 9 billion debt. Executive President Louise Beardmore confirmed that in February, Parliament paid £ 1.4 million, including £ 420,000 bonus last year.

“The methodology used by the campaigns is the methodology used by the environmental agency to evaluate harmony.” He said.

“On this, incorrect data have been used, the labels and naming rules in the data clusters seem misunderstood, and assumptions seem to have been made as to whether different flow meters were installed.”

“Methodology cannot use other supportive information from the sites that prove that shedding has not occurred. As a result, the quoted numbers are wrong.”

The BBC News presented United Utilities a five -illegal shedding example that campaignists’ analysis defined by using the company’s data, and asked any evidence or explanation of why they were not illegal. United Utilities rejected it in writing or over and over again.

Matt Staniek Save Windermere from Matt Staniek, “What we see is the failure of privatization. Windermere places such as long -term environmental protection on the prioritization of dividend returns,” he says.

He continued: “Paying the bill has never paid for a service that has never been fully provided and shows that everyone will see illegal.”

Invoices in the United Utilities region for the next five years The inflation rate will rise above 32%. This will mean an increase of £ 86 for the year that started in April.

Louise Beardmore said that the increases will finance “the largest investment in water and waste water infrastructure for more than 100 years.”

For Windermere meant nine waste water treatment work, including both of the campaignists, and a decrease in the number of overflows emptied into the lake.