United Utilities unveils new ambitious multi-million-pound investment plan for Windermere

New proposed investment of more than £150 million will help improve and protect water quality at England’s most iconic lake.

United Utilities had previously put forward plans to invest more than £41 million which would tackle and reduce spills from four storm overflows in the Windermere catchment.

Now, as part of the water company’s ambitious plans to deliver the largest spill reduction programme across the region, it is proposing to make an additional £156 million of improvements across nine wastewater treatment works and all six storm overflows that discharge into the lake and deliver a further step change in wastewater treatment.

The funding proposed for 2025 and beyond would see improvements to wastewater treatment sites at: Ambleside; Far Sawrey; Ferry House; Grasmere; Hawkshead; Langdale; Near Sawrey; Outgate; and Troutbeck. The investment will improve treatment processes for phosphorus, ammonia, suspended solids and biological oxygen demand across those sites.

Improvements to each of the 6 storm overflows will reduce spills to an average of 10 per annum per overflow.

Andrew Kendall, Wastewater business lead for United Utilities in Cumbria, said: “Over the last two decades, we have invested millions of pounds upgrading our wastewater treatment sites, pumping stations and sewers around Windermere. The steps we have taken so far, and the investments proposed today demonstrate our commitment and ambition to helping to improve the environment across Windermere and beyond.

“The enhancement to our treatment works, and its associated infrastructure, will treat wastewater to even higher standards across Windermere, reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the lake.

“Together with the investment at all 6 overflows to reduce spills, we are making a step change to tackle the current challenges and deliver outcomes that benefit the environment and our communities for both today and the future.”

The latest proposed investment plans are in addition to significant work that is already underway. They include:

• £41 million of investment, helping to reduce spills by 75% from around 388 per annum to 80; with the aim of bringing forward the completion date for this work by two years to early 2028
• Preparatory works are due to start in the next few weeks at the following WwTWs: Ambleside; Elterwater; Hawkshead; and Near Sawrey
• Creating an additional 2.6 million litres of storage at Ambleside and Windermere wastewater treatment works – the equivalent of around 33,000 bathtubs or just over an Olympic size swimming pool
• Completing a further 22 schemes to tackle storm overflows elsewhere across Cumbria this year

The company is also deploying rapid solutions at a number of sites across Cumbria to help reduce storm overflow operations.