Our long-term plans for Ennerdale Water

For more than 120 years, water for 80,000 homes and businesses in and around the towns of Egremont, Cockermouth and Whitehaven has come from local sources. But the waterbodies are also home to many rare and protected species. The risk to wildlife, along with the growth of the population means we had to find sources other than Ennerdale Water, Crummock Water, Overwater and Chapelhouse Reservoir.

We worked with environmental stakeholders including the Environment Agency and Natural England and stopped using these water bodies as a water source at the end of March 2023.

Our West Cumbria abstraction licences are now permanently withdrawn as the new water network is operational and uses Thirlmere Reservoir as the water source.

Bringing water to the 80,000 homes and businesses via the new 62-mile long pipeline from a more strategic water source, Thirlmere reservoir, means we can better meet the demands now and for future population growth, while also protecting the very precious local environments by not taking water from these smaller sources.  

Revocation of the abstraction licence at Ennerdale was a requirement from the Environment Agency under the habitats directive.  We built the IROPI (Imperative reasons of overriding public interest) case to allow us to continue abstraction at Ennerdale Water until an alternative solution was found.

The feasibility study looking at the removal of the infrastructure is a requirement under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). This is close to completion and the work has been done by our specialist consultant partner Jacobs. 

We have undertaken significant investment over the past 15 years and continue to do so, to enable more water to be moved around our network regions more readily. 

An example of one of these projects is the West East Link Main that connects Liverpool to Manchester, enabling Manchester to be supplied by alternative sources and is therefore less dependent on Thirlmere.

Thirlmere is a large strategic water source and part of our integrated regional water supply system.  We will be using more of the water from Thirlmere to supply homes and businesses in Cumbria and use capacity at other sources in the south of our region to make up the difference. 

Our Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) sets out how much water we think our customers need, how much we have available and how we will meet that supply and demand over the next 25 years. 

Experts assess and model what will affect the demand for water in the future and take into account factors like population growth and the impact of climate change.  Based on those assessments, which have also been subject to scrutiny by a DEFRA appointed planning inspector, Thirlmere's the right solution to meet the needs of the population now, and in the future. 

You can view our updated draft Water Resources Management Plan which defines our strategy to meet demand from 2025 to 2085. 

Revocation of the abstraction licence at Ennerdale was a requirement from the Environment Agency under the habitat directive and under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), there is a need for the removal of the infrastructure.

The weir at Ennerdale Water is not designed or operated as a flood risk management provision as the structure is designed to retain water for drinking water abstraction, above and beyond, the natural storage provision of the waterbody.

If the infrastructure was abandoned, someone would have to take ownership and responsibility under the Reservoir Safety Act to modify the infrastructure into a flood management system, combined with the liability of proactively managing flood waters which isn't cost effective. Re-naturalising this reservoir is the most viable solution, enhancing the environment and cost.

With the completion of the new Thirlmere pipeline and water network the existing water treatment works at Ennerdale will no longer be operational and will be taken out of service.  As a result, there would be no way for the water from this reservoir to be transferred using the existing pipework to the new treatment works at Williamsgate and would require significant new lengths of pipework to be installed.

Also, the abstraction licences from the Environment Agency for this site have been revoked and therefore we are not legally allowed to take water from this site.  It would also be very unlikely that we would get permission to do so in the future.

We must demonstrate to the Environment Agency and Cumberland Council through the planning and consenting process that our assessment of flood risk is in accordance with National Planning Policy and that flood risk, to and from, the proposed project can be managed effectively and without increasing risk to others.

We will continue to engage with specialists and the Environment Agency to carry out extensive hydraulic modelling studies to assess how the proposed work at this site may alter flows. The initial modelling results suggest a lowering risk and flood peaks - we will continue to work with specialists to ensure that there would be no increase in flood risk.

If we are not able to demonstrate that flood risk is not increased (including taking climate change into account), the project would be unable to obtain planning permission and therefore not progress into construction.

During any construction activity we carry out, safety is always of utmost importance.  Therefore, access to several areas around Ennerdale Water would be restricted, along with closures of some access routes during the work.

We'll look to minimise impacts and provide temporary alternative routes to areas not impacted by our work where possible and when it becomes safe, return the existing routes to users as quickly as possible. We would also make sure that long-term pedestrian access is not restricted and the impact of our work is kept to a minimum.

We would work closely with the Lake District National Park Public Rights of Way Officers as well as other interest groups.

Although there are no plans to change the long-term recreational use of Ennerdale Water for permitted leisure activities (as set out on the LDNPA website), we would look to undertake assessments to understand the shoreline gradients and whether the lowered water level will impact access to the water.  Any temporary localised diversions of Public Rights of Way/access routes will be minimised as far as possible.

We currently have no plans to close or introduce car parking charges at any of the United Utilities car parks in the Ennerdale Valley.

We understand that Ennerdale is a valued space and an important landscape for visitors and the surrounding communities. The lake, river and much of the surrounding catchment are designated for their unique and important habitat and species.  Ennerdale Water was also recently declared a National Nature Reserve. 

The purpose of the project scheme is to deliver long-term benefits, which would include:

• The restoration of natural salmon and freshwater mussel habitat
• Removing barriers to fish and eel movement
• Restoring natural flows and sediment transportation
• Improving river habitat quality

We're working with a range of partners, stakeholders and engaging with specialist ecological contractors to carry out surveys and assessments, the majority of which will be undertaken during phase two of the project.

We're currently collating information on the construction impact at this site and, as our plans develop, this would be made available and updates provided on this dedicated project webpage.