Better sewage treatment (Lake Windermere & beyond)
You can’t boycott water companies, but we can together campaign for them to invest more in treating sewage, instead of giving huge profits to shareholders.
Sewage also adds phosphorus to the water, which creates algae blooms. This starves lakes of oxygen, and kills surrounding wildlife and fish.
At time of writing, Andy Burnham has just become Prime Minister. So let’s see what happens. Sign the petition to ask Andy to start acting, not just listening.
One of Count Binface’s policies is indeed to make water executives take a dip in the rivers they are polluting. And people think he’s a joke candidate?
How to report sewage pollution:
Learn how to report sewage pollution and illness after swimming.
Avoid entering the water if the water is brown and smells foul, has remnants of sewage waste (toilet paper, wet wipes, sanitary products) or you see dead/distressed fish and wildlife (call British Divers Marine Life Rescue or local wildlife rescue).
Why does England have stinky sewage?
Rainwater should dilute sewage. But with a population of over 60 million people, it’s no longer possible to rely on a big downpour to treat all of it.
The main cause of sewage pollution is sewer overflows (it’s legal for water companies to discharge untreated wastewater during heavy rain periods). But this is now happening more, using an old system that can’t cope.
Major investment is needed. But instead water companies are giving out billions in dividends. One company was fined £2.65 million for letting untreated sewage overflow into the North Sea due to decommissioning equipment, and failed to act on data due to no alarm system).
Campaign to stop sewage on Lake Windermere
In Cumbria, Cunsey Beck (near Beatrix Potter’s old home in Near Sawrey), polluted sewage which should be treated before flowing into Lake Windermere has killed many local fish and wildlife. Leading campaigners to call this a national disgrace.
The founder of Save Windermere studied zoology (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 we do to help?
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.
You can report nationwide sewage issues and blue-green algae at Save Windermere. And sickness reports (for you or pets like swimming dogs).
This helps the campaign to ‘grow legs’ to ask for tighter laws and more regulation. Data is anonymous and not shared with third parties.
This is a fantastic campaign that started local and is now going national. An easy way to support it is to buy organic t-shirts and other casual clothing from its Teemill store. Everything is made with organic cotton and green energy, and sent in zero waste packaging.
Launder the caps or rucksacks in a microfiber filter, due to recycled polyester.
