Government pledges to 'clean up' Lake Windermere
Sewage has illegally gone into the lake in recent years.
Last updated 10th Mar 2025
Environment Secretary Steve Reed is set to pledge to "clean up Windermere" ahead of a drive to ensure "only rainwater" enters England's largest lake.
Mr Reed will be in Windermere on Monday as part of a Things Can Only Get Cleaner tour, to see where investment in water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and boost local economies.
Mr Reed said:
"Windermere is a stunningly beautiful national treasure - but it's being choked by unacceptable levels of sewage pollution."
He said the Government is "committed to cleaning up this iconic lake" as part of its Plan for Change scheme to upgrade infrastructure and boost economic growth using more than £100 billion of private investment.
Local groups and organisations have set up a feasibility study to look into what is needed to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake and draw on successful examples and innovation from around the world.
The study has been set up by the Only Rainwater coalition, which includes United Utilities, the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Save Windermere, Love Windermere, the Lake District National Park authority and Westmorland and Furness Council.
Windermere, part of the Lake District National Park Unesco World Heritage Site, is home to more than 14,000 people and its scenery, rare species and cultural heritage attract seven million visitors per year, generating £750 million for the local economy.
Wastewater from United Utilities and private sewage treatment along with rural and urban land use are among a range of pollution issues it faces.
Sewage spills from water infrastructure have contributed to the pollution of beauty spots including Windermere.
Storm overflows - which release untreated wastewater into rivers and seas when there is heavy rain to prevent sewers becoming overwhelmed - have dumped sewage into the lake.
Water utilities have been handed multimillion-pound fines for repeated and damaging illegal pollution in recent years and there is concern about the levels of leaks from water infrastructure - especially in times of drought when hosepipe bans are imposed.
Climate change and worsening weather extremes, from downpours to drought, are expected to pile more pressure on supplies.
The Government is initially looking at new methods to reduce pollution from private sewage discharges into Windermere.
New treatment plants and enhanced maintenance is being backed along with schemes to let owners of septic tanks and package treatment works ask for a connection to the mains sewer under certain conditions.
This could be useful in consolidating the wastewater infrastructure.
A £200 million investment from United Utilities will go towards upgrading 10 wastewater treatment works at Windermere and reducing spills from four storm overflows discharging into the lake to 10 per year by 2030.
Upgrades to the remaining two storm overflows are due from around 2030-35.
A United Utilities spokesperson, said:
“We are committed to playing our part in improving the water quality in the Windermere catchment. It’s why we’re already on with delivering £200m of investment to ensure we treat wastewater to even higher standards at nine wastewater treatment works alongside significantly reducing discharges from the six storm overflows that discharge into the Lake. This builds on our previous investment of £75m that has already helped to cut the amount of phosphorus entering the lake by a third.
“Today’s announcement by the Government looks at a long-term plan for only rainfall entering Windermere and we will be working with the other partners involved to support this.”