Greater Protection

We are asking the government to commit to providing Windermere with greater protection, to ensure its long-term ecological health.

Greater Protection is the first of the long-term goals in our plan for a sewage free lake.

An Open Letter

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Supported by…

The call for greater protection of Windermere has been supported by individuals such as Chris Packham and Paul Whitehouse, as well as the below organisations and charities who recognise the importance of Windermere as one of our nation’s greatest natural assets.

Collection of logos for various environmental and community organizations, including Campaign for National Parks, The Wildlife Trusts, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, WildFish, The countryside charity, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, Friends of the Lake District, Surfers Against Sewage, Whitstable, Clean River Kent Campaign, Ilkley Clean River Group, Matson Ground Estate, and Graythwaite.

EMAIL YOUR MP

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OPEN MAIL

OUR 10-POINT PLAN FOR A SEWAGE-FREE WINDERMERE

Short Term Goals

  • Launch an inquiry into the failings of the Environment Agency and OFWAT and subsequently provide adequate resources to enable effective regulation and enforcement of existing legislation.

  • Provide a clear breakdown of infrastructural investment to ensure public funds are spent efficiently and appropriately.

  • Ensure full transparency of data from both the water company and the Environment Agency, including asset capacity.

  • Reform current measurement practices by implementing precise monitoring of effluent at sewage outfalls, both treated and untreated, to measure nutrient levels and sewage volume, with data accessible in real-time via a public portal.

  • Update all United Utilities permits so they are fit for the 21st Century and align with the 1994 Urban Wastewater Directive, allowing Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) to discharge only in exceptional circumstances.

  • Set phosphate, nitrate and ammonia discharge limits to a protective level and enforce capped limits rather than assessing compliance based on annual averages.

  • Enforce compliance and introduce suitable financial deterrents for all pollution incidents and non-compliance to prevent profiteering from pollution. Require all investment up to compliance to be funded by the water company (i.e. costs not passed on to consumer).

Long Term Goals

  • Focus on achieving ‘High’ ecological status for Windermere under the Water Framework Directive.

  • Commit to the complete removal of all United Utilities sewage inputs into Windermere and its catchment.

  • United Utilities to take ownership of the most significant septic tanks and package treatment plants under Section 101a of the Water Industry Act 1991 and the First Time Sewerage scheme.

If you want to support us further, you can donate below.

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