The new ‘rainwater’ project aimed at cleaning up England’s largest lake

Environment Secretary Steve Reed has vowed to “clean up Windermere” by ensuring “only rainwater” and not sewage pollution enters England’s largest lake.                                                                                                                                                  On Monday while visiting the Lake District’s Windermere, in Cumbria, he said the government was “committed” to the clean up as part of its Plan for Change scheme, upgrading crumbling water infrastructure with private investment.

Wastewater from water companies and private sewage treatment, along with rural and urban land use, are among a range of pollution issues the lake faces – sparking swathes of celebrity-backed protests.                                                                        Now Mr Reed said: “Windermere is a stunningly beautiful national treasure but it’s being choked by unacceptable levels of sewage pollution.”

Asked when the water in Windermere might be safe enough to swim in, he said: “It won’t be ready as quickly as summer. It’s taken a long time to get to the state that it’s in.” 

Part of the Lake District National Park Unesco World Heritage Site, Windermere is home to more than 14,000 people and its scenery attracts an estimated seven million visitors per year. 

But in 2024 it was revealed water company United Utilities repeatedly dumped millions of litres of raw sewage illegally into the lake over a three-year period. 

Mr Reed said it was “wholly unacceptable that this lake was allowed to be contaminated with so much pollution – more than 140 million litres.” 

He said the government had secured an initial £200m to start work on diverting sewage away from Windermere and into treatment facilities to clean it up. 

However, he warned the project would take time and further funding as part of its £100bn five-year plan across the water sector still needed to be secured. 

“We are working with investors to bring that money in,” he said. 

Matt Staniek, a campaigner against sewage pollution and founder of Save Windermere, said the announcement felt “like a new dawn” for Windermere. 

“It’s phenomenal news – everyone should really appreciate this is big news for every single person in this country.” 

He added this was a “first step” in their four-year campaign, stressing: “This is so far just an objective, it’s a vision, it’s an ambition and we want to see this absolutely concrete. 

“We want to see a legally binding commitment and we’re going to continue until that happens.”

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. 

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. 

The Government sees the Water (Special Measures) Act as a way to produce stronger regulation alongside securing £104 billion of private sector investment to upgrade infrastructure, help the economy and create jobs. 

A £200 million investment from United Utilities will go towards upgrading nine wastewater treatment works at Windermere and reducing spills from six storm overflows discharging into the lake to 10 per year by 2030. 

The private sector money will go towards sewage pipes, water treatment works and nine reservoirs, supporting 1.5 million new homes, 150 major infrastructure projects and power industries such as gigafactories and data centres. 

Money from water company fines and penalties has been ringfenced to deliver local water projects, and schemes to clean up waterways are set to get up to £11 million. 

Successful projects, which applied for the Water Restoration Fund, will begin this year to improve the water environment in regions where the fines and penalties were issued. 

Restoring waters to good ecological status, supporting biodiversity in water-dependent habitats and building resilience to climate change are some of the potential schemes.