Campaigner calls for action after sewage discharge

Mr Sharkey regularly campaigns with the Save Windermere group

Singer and clean water campaigner Feargal Sharkey has criticised a water company after untreated sewage was continually discharged into a lake for eight days.

Storm overflows at two water treatment plants in Cumbria have been discharging into sites that flow into Windermere since last Thursday, United Utilities figures show.

The water company said overflows were "designed to operate during heavy rainfall, like that seen in the Lake District over recent days" - something which is only supposed to occur in "exceptional circumstances", according to regulator Ofwat.

Mr Sharkey said the weather had been "not even close to" exceptional, adding: "We live on an island in the north Atlantic, heavy rain does not count."

The singer, who is an active campaigner with Save Windermere, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme he believed the authorities had so far "failed to intervene and enforce the law with any thorough enthusiasm or drive".

The Environment Agency said it was aware the practice was seen as "controversial" but it "must operate within the current law and storm overflows can be allowed in certain circumstances of heavy rain".

It added it was working with United Utilities to "ensure improvements are made in the next investment programme".

Untreated sewage has been flowing into Windermere for eight days

Visitors to Windermere have said they can see pollution floating in the lake.

Nigel Wilkinson, managing director of Lake Windermere Cruises and the independent chair of Love Windermere, told the BBC there had been an "exceptional" amount of rain through August, but that the sewage was affecting the area's image.

"Undoubtedly it impacts on the reputation of Windermere," he said.

"I think the frustration is the reputation Windermere is getting is so absolutely different to what we see on the ground."

Mr Wilkinson said the sewage was affecting Windermere's image

The combined sewage overflow system United Utilities uses has been in operation since Victorian times.

United Utilities said it "understands and share[s] people's concerns about this issue" and had invested "hundreds of millions of pounds" to reduce the number of spills.

It added: "We have also proposed the biggest programme of investment for more than 100 years between 2025 and 2030 to deliver significant reductions in the number of overflow operations at key sites.

"These include Elterwater, Hawkshead, Ambleside and Near Sawrey where we have proposed to reduce storm spills by 50% on 2022 figures."

The wastewater treatment works at Near Sawrey began discharging into Cunsey Beck, which flows from Esthwaite Water to Windermere, at 06:11 BST last Thursday.

Similarly, Hawkshead Pumping Station started discharging at 03:27 BST last Thursday, which would have eventually flowed into Windermere via Cunsey Beck.