Save Windermere secures a major victory as United Utilities withdraws their appeal, releasing crucial environmental data after years of campaigning. Discover how relentless advocacy led to greater transparency for England’s largest lake.

United Utilities has dropped legal fight to block access to data on the discharge of treated sewage in Lake District. The water company United Utilities has conceded defeat in its legal battle to block public access to data on treated sewage it is discharging into Windermere in the Lake District.

The following report outlines the findings of our extensive investigation into Far Sawrey WwTW. Save Windermere asserts that the site is fundamentally not fit for purpose with several operational and maintenance issues exposed. We have also quantified the substantial, chronic adverse impact that the site is having on the freshwater ecology of Wilfin Beck.

Matt Staniek, the founder of Save Windermere reflects on a year of tireless campaigning.

From exposing illegal spills to securing £200M investment—thank you for making 2024 one of our most impactful years yet. Let’s make 2025 the year we secure Windermere’s future!

Windermere has once again been in the news for the wrong reasons, after the Observer, working with Professor Peter Hammond, reported their analysis that United Utilities allegedly discharged illegally into Windermere on more than 500 days from 2018 to 2023.

Over 500 days with illegal sewage discharges have been exposed in Windermere, as United Utilities’ untreated spills go unchecked. This blog delves into the shocking data, the regulatory failures, and Save Windermere’s call for accountability to protect England’s largest lake.

United Utilities refuses to hand over data on sewage discharges into Windermere. Water company claims information is not in the public interest despite widespread pollution of UK waters.

Campaigners blame United Utilities for blighting famous lake with raw effluent.

The UK is falling further behind on sewage pollution regulation as the EU tightens its rules to clean up Europe’s waterways, say critics.

More than 130 organisations take part in protest demanding government action over country’s sewage crisis

Campaigners have called for changes to how sewage discharge is recorded. Water companies currently only have to record how long sewage is pumped into rivers and not how much is released.