Lake Windermere tributary 'turning stagnant from sewage:' Check your local river using LBC's interactive map

20 December 2024, 07:41 | Updated: 20 December 2024, 15:40

Feargal test the Cunsey Beck

By Connor Hand

@Connor_HandLBC

Concerns about the health of Lake Windermere have intensified after an LBC investigation discovered alarming levels of an indicator of sewage pollution in a key tributary.

In the final edition of Feargal on Friday, legendary rock star turned bête noire of the water industry, Feargal Sharkey, travelled to the Cunsey Beck in Cumbria, a stone’s throw away from the home of celebrated author Beatrix Potter, to analyse the Cunsey Beck.

Yet despite being designated a Special Site of Scientific Interest, and having no fewer than three monitoring devices in its vicinity upon our visit, the Beck failed a key test.

Using a portable monitoring kit provided by the Angling Trust, Feargal discovered phosphate levels were double the limit outlined by the internationally-recognised Water Framework Directive.

Campaigners argue that these elevated levels of phosphate have contributed to Lake Windermere periodically turning green. This occurs when algal blooms develop, blocking sunlight into the water body and posing a threat to the natural life inhabiting it.

“This is one of the most legally protected bits of countryside in the whole of western Europe - [but] phosphate’s a big fail,” Feargal lamented, before adding that: “Lake Windermere is quite frankly turning stagnant because of phosphate and because of sewage.”

Read more: Feargal Sharkey vows to donate £1k to charity if Thames Water boss agrees to drink glass of water from River Brent

Read more: 'I'd stay well away from swimming there': Feargal Sharkey tests the River Cam after site was awarded bathing status

More than 140 million litres of waste were pumped into Windermere between 2021 and 2023, according to analysis published earlier in the year, and the plight of one of the UK’s most fabled rivers has been consistently highlighted by the Save Windermere Campaign.

In spite of concerns about their environmental record, the water regulator, Ofwat, yesterday permitted United Utilities to raise bills to £585 over the next five years.

The results at Windermere meant that across Feargal’s three-month investigation, not a single river passed all four of LBC’s tests.

Reflecting on the results, Feargal said: “We cannot find a single river anywhere in England and Wales that passes all of our tests - and this is 2024.”

“I hope [this] is not the fading future for our water bodies - for our rivers, lakes, streams and beaches. I hope tomorrow morning there will be a new dawn and a new birth - and our rivers will be given a chance.”

Responding to LBC’s findings, a spokesperson for United Utilities said: “Specialist monitoring has been carried out up and downstream in Cunsey Beck over the last 12 months. This extensive monitoring captured over a dozen different water quality metrics and those findings have not shown any indication that results are close to the readings shared by LBC.”

LBC has requested this data to verify this as United Utilities has recently been censured by the Information Commissioner’s Office for failing to disclose their data. The company elected not to provide the data.

The statement continues: “We know there are numerous sources of pollution across the catchment and that’s why, through the Love Windermere Partnership, we are working with all organisations and individuals that impact water quality in the lake including farmers, septic tank owners, hotels, campsites, highways authorities and landowners to help deliver the step change we all want to see.

“We are planning to invest £200m over the next five years to improve our own treatment works and reduce the number of times that storm overflows operate.”