The Campaign to Stop Sewage on Lake Windermere
The sewage dumping issue on Lake Windermere (England’s largest body of water) is a national scandal. Thankfully the Save Windermere campaign is having some success, thanks to the amazing efforts of its volunteers, who also are very knowledgeable about the subject (good science always helps to get your point across, when dealing with gormless politicians).
Founder Matt studied zoology (that’s wild animals, not zoos) but on returning home to the Lake District, he broke his neck in a car accident. One thing that helped him to recover both physically and mentally was wild swimming – until he discovered what he was swimming with. In a word – sh*t.
Appalled to find that raw sewage was being dumped in Lake Windermere by companies that were giving away millions in dividends to shareholders, he decided to take action. This Community Interest Company is now becoming as well-known as Surfers Against Sewage, campaigning with the facts:
There has been a 75% reduction of invertebrates on Wilfin Beck (Far Sawrey Wastewater Treatment Works) And a 64% reduction of invertebrates on the Rothay (Ambleside Wastewater Treatment Works)
The Windermere catchment generates £750 million from tourism each year. If someone were to get seriously ill or die as a result of pollution in Windermere, the impact on the local economy would be catastrophic. Save Windermere
What can you do? If you’re a resident, visitor or someone who simply care, write to your MP and ask him or her what they are doing, to get involved in the effort.
From 2021 to 2023, the local water company illegally dumped over 140 million litres of raw sewage into Lake Windermere. It was only discovered due to a BBC investigation, otherwise we still would not know.
Sewage pollution not only makes the water unsafe for drinking and swimming (children, tourists, dogs), but causes algae bloom, which chokes oxygen out of the water, killing fish and marine creatures.
And now the company has been forced to upgrade its infrastructure, it plans to raise customer bills by 32% above inflation over the next five years, to pay for it?
