The Times: We will end sewage in Windermere, ministers say — but set no deadline
Steve Reed, the environment secretary, pledges that only rainwater will enter the lake and that action will be taken ‘as quickly as possible’
Ministers have promised that “only rainwater” will enter Windermere, but have failed to give a legally binding deadline on when sewage spills will stop.
Steve Reed, the environment secretary, made the pledge as he visited the Lake District on Monday, where he said he was “absolutely committed” to cleaning up Windermere’s two basins. Last year raw sewage was discharged in the lake over more than 6,000 hours.
“It is a national treasure, it’s one of the most iconic sites in the country, it’s loved right across the country. But it’s completely unacceptable that it’s been polluted with record levels of sewage because the previous Conservative government just stood back and did nothing,” Reed said.
However, Reed would not be drawn on whether the goal would become a legally binding one, as campaigners have called for. Instead he highlighted recent reforms that became law in February, including the threat of jail sentences for water executives who obstruct environmental investigations.
Matt Staniek of the Save Windermere campaign said the new commitment on Windermere was “a truly historic moment for our lake”. However, he added: “Nothing is set in stone, and nothing is legally binding. We won’t allow this issue to be kicked into the long grass.”
The pledge to end spills, which has been a key demand of Staniek, came with no timeline. Asked if it would at least be before 2050, when the government has already promised to effectively end sewage spills from outfalls nationally as part of a £60 billion plan, Reed told The Times: “Well, it’ll be before that.”
The environment secretary said he wanted to act quickly. “If I start speculating about a date like 2050 I might be making it sound longer than it will actually take. We want to do this as quickly as possible,” he said.
United Utilities, the local water company, has said it will spend £200 million over the next five years upgrading sewers and sewage treatment plants around Windermere. Last week its chief executive, Louise Beardmore, admitted the company had taken the “wrong” approach to being transparent about releasing data about its sewage treatment works.
Reed said he had seen a change in how serious the company was about tackling sewage pollution. “There’s been a change on the part of water companies up and down the country because of the much more robust approach this government has taken,” he said. He said voters would see less sewage entering watercourses before the next election.
Reed would not say if he would swim in the lake, which has four bathing sites rated as excellent but has been hit by several toxic algal blooms in recent summers. However, he said: “I want to get to a situation where every parent feels safe to let their child go in the water, whether that’s a beach, or a lake or a river. It’s not acceptable that people worry about that.” A feasibility study will begin imminently to determine what will be needed to end sewage spills in Windermere.
