Press & Media

Matt Staniek Matt Staniek

The Express: Campaigners question progress to clean England's Largest lake from pollution

A campaigner has accused a water firm and green regulator of “painting a fictitious picture” of Lake Windermere’s pollution. United Utilities (UU) previously claimed a 50% reduction in phosphorus discharges into England’s largest lake, in Cumbria, following investment between 2015 and 2020.

But Save Windermere founder Matt Staniek alleged this figure is based on “unverified assumptions rather than concrete data”. The Environment Agency (EA), in a blog post last year, said that phosphorus levels have declined by approximately 30% since 2020 – contradicting the claims made by the water company.

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Matt Staniek Matt Staniek

The Times: Windermere ‘had 200,000 litres of sewage dumped in it a day’

Nearly two hundred thousand litres of raw sewage was spilled in one day into a lake flowing into Windermere, according to campaigners who claim the discharge was illegal.

The details of the sewage dumping come as new legal rules take effect, requiring water firms to be more transparent about their efforts to stop pollution.

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Matt Staniek Matt Staniek

BBC: Swimmers warned after harmful algae found in lake

Swimmers have been told to avoid part of a popular lake after harmful blue-green algae was found in the water. The blooms, which can make people ill if swallowed, were discovered at the Lakeside YMCA bathing area in Windermere, in the Lake District. Environmental campaigners said they believed it had been caused by a combination of pollution flowing into the lake and the warmer weather.

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Matt Staniek Matt Staniek

BBC: Water quality monitors moved after activist tests

Water quality monitors near England's largest lake which were deemed ineffective by campaigners have now been moved.

The Environment Agency (EA) installed the monitors at Cunsey Beck, which feeds into Windermere in the Lake District, after a fish kill in June 2022 in which "100% of life" within the river was suspected to have died.

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Matt Staniek Matt Staniek

The Times: Windermere polluters ‘must be prosecuted’ for illegal sewage spills

Windermere recently suffered the worst year since 2020 for illegal sewage spills, according to analysis of water company data by campaign groups. A joint investigation by Save Windermere and Windrush Against Sewage Pollution used data from United Utilities to determine when the company was releasing sewage into Windermere and when it should have, by law, been treating it.

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