Watchdog criticised over sewage spill permit

Save Windermere are concerned about discharges into Cunsey Beck

The watchdog tasked with protecting the environment is not doing enough to prevent damage from water company sewage discharges, campaigners say.

The Save Windermere group said an Environment Agency (EA) permit for a waste water treatment works near Cunsey Beck in the Lake District had omissions and was not sufficiently stringent.

Matt Staniek from the group said the law was clear and "needs to be enforced".

The EA said the permit "already considers impacts on water quality" and the area's protected status.

Near Sawrey Wastewater Treatment Works discharges into Cunsey Beck, which flows from Esthwaite Water to Windermere and is in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The water course is home to protected species such as Atlantic salmon, whiteclaw crayfish and European eel, Mr Staniek said.

The EA permit should be "one of the most stringent in the entire catchment", but is not, he added.

Excessive levels of nutrients in the water can cause mass fish death

Untreated sewage had been discharged for 4,823 hours in the last three years, Save Windermere said.

The permit has no limit for phosphorous in discharges and sets the limit of ammoniacal nitrogen at 30 mg/l, which campaigners say is too high.

Mr Staniek said, although 29 mg/l would be allowed, in drought conditions it could cause "significant acute pollution incidences" such as fish kills.

"Why there has been no phosphorous limit set on the site is beyond me," he said.

"Phosphorous concentrations are the number one topic of conversation when it comes to the long term protection of Windermere.

"To have one of these sites without a limit on it is just absurd."

Mr Staniek also said a section in the permit describing a circumstance "when flows are less than X” suggested it was incomplete.

The EA said it would "update the flow figure in this permit and identify whether there are any further improvements we can make".

A spokesperson said: "We are committed to continuing to improve water quality in Windermere and have already started to review permits for the lake."

Dead fish were found in Cunsey Beck in 2022

Save Windermere said it also had evidence water company United Utilities (UU) had not always complied with its permit.

Data for 2022 supplied by the company to the EA had been analysed by Prof Peter Hammond, who has given evidence to government committees on water company discharges, it said.

His analysis concluded there had been "early spilling", when untreated sewage is discharged before the point at which a sewage works is at capacity and it would be permitted.

A UU spokesperson said: "The Near Sawrey wastewater treatment plant operates in line with its environmental permit, as set by the Environment Agency.

"There is no evidence of illegal discharges - these claims are based on incomplete data and flawed methodology."