The chief executive of United Utilities has told MPs increased pollution levels are down to better monitoring and increased wet weather but admitted the company needed to do more to prevent discharges in the future.

Environmental campaigners in the Lake District have launched their 'most ambitious' project to date to make Windermere sewage free. 'Save Windermere' announced the new scheme last week, providing a step-by-step guide for local residents and businesses to move away from privately owned sewage treatment.

Connecting to the main sewage network could help cut down pollution into England's largest lake, campaigners say. The Save Windermere campaign said those with private waste systems, such as septic tanks, had the right to ask their water firms to be connected to the main network if their set-ups were causing or were likely to cause "environment or amenity" issues.

Water quality monitors installed in response to toxic pollution near England's largest lake are ineffective, campaigners have claimed.

Save Windermere campaigners claimed a test they carried out using non-toxic dye showed the equipment was wrongly placed, meaning it could not pick up flow coming from a nearby sewage pipe.

United Utilities had been told by the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) it needed to release environmental information requested by the Save Windermere campaign group.

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.

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

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.

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