United Utilities illegally dumps over 10 million litres of untreated sewage into Windermere in one night
Did you watch the BBC Panorama - ‘The Water Pollution Cover-Up’ - that aired in December last year?
The documentary covered a very specific pollution incident, which saw United Utilities dump untreated sewage into the middle of Windermere from Glebe Road Pumping Station.
UU initially denied this sewage dump in the middle of the lake, but it turned out to be true – and they had to admit that on national TV.
Panorama also demonstrated the Environment Agency’s failure to conduct a proper investigation into the incident, instead they relied on United Utilities’ own testimony as to what happened.
Well, guess what? Just over a year later, the exact same thing has happened…
And, once again the Environment Agency has demonstrated that it isn't fit for purpose after another shoddy investigation has landed them in hot water. Yet again, they have been exposed on a national platform for their failure to perform their statutory duty and their failure to hold UU accountable for the damage they’re inflicting on Windermere.
This isn't new behaviour; this is a pattern – same s**t, different day.
Despite this, some organisations still try to justify working side by side with United Utilities and the Environment Agency. At this stage, it’s arguable that these organisations are complicit in the ecological damage being inflicted on our lake.
United Utilities routinely dumps sewage into our lakes and rivers, prioritises shareholder dividends over environmental protection, and they’ve broken the law – meanwhile, organisations like the National Trust sit in partnerships with them.
