The Express: The new 'rainwater' project aimed at cleaning up England's largest lake
For years celebrities and campaigners have rallied to demand the Lake District's iconic Windermere is cleaned up from pollution - finally the Government agrees.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has vowed to "clean up Windermere" by ensuring "only rainwater" and not sewage pollution enters England’s largest lake. On Monday while visiting the Lake District's Windermere, in Cumbria, he said the government was "committed" to the clean up as part of its Plan for Change scheme, upgrading crumbling water infrastructure with private investment.
Wastewater from water companies and private sewage treatment, along with rural and urban land use, are among a range of pollution issues the lake faces - sparking swathes of celebrity-backed protests. Now Mr Reed said: "Windermere is a stunningly beautiful national treasure but it's being choked by unacceptable levels of sewage pollution."
Part of the Lake District National Park Unesco World Heritage Site, Windermere is home to more than 14,000 people and its scenery attracts an estimated seven million visitors per year.
But in 2024 it was revealed water company United Utilities repeatedly dumped millions of litres of raw sewage illegally into the lake over a three-year period.
