DoomsdaysCWUntreated #sewage illegally pumped into #WindermereLake
by Joe Crowley
May 15, 2024
"Millions of litres of #RawSewage were illegally pumped into one of England's most famous lakes after a fault, the BBC can reveal.
"#UnitedUtilities failed to stop the illegal #pollution of Windermere, in the #LakeDistrict, for 10 hours in February and did not report the incident to the Environment Agency until 13 hours after it started.
"An almost identical incident occurred at the same location in 2022.
"The firm says it took urgent steps to resolve the incident in February.
"A pumping station in Bowness-on-Windermere, in Cumbria, normally sends sewage to Windermere Wastewater Treatment Works.
"But United Utilities documents, obtained by the BBC, show how a telecoms fault on the night of 28 February caused the main pumps to stop.
"A separate set of emergency pumps then discharged untreated sewage into the middle of Windermere, which is part of a Unesco World Heritage site.
"It is England's largest lake and one of the country's most popular natural attractions."
