Windermere Sewage Pollution
Leigh Day is currently investigating potential legal action against United Utilities over its pollution of Windermere. Our specialist environmental legal team is looking into the alleged impact that sewage pollution is having on the local community.
To register your interest and receive updates from us, please complete the online form here.
As England’s largest lake, Windermere plays an important role both within the local community and nationally. As sewage pollution continues to impact communities throughout the UK, Leigh Day wants to hear from the members of the community about the alleged impact of pollution on Windermere.
United Utilities is required to provide real-time data on the performance of its assets, known as Event Duration Monitoring (EDM). EDM data shows that in 2023, there were 491 spills, running for a total of 8,787 hours. That is the equivalent of 366 full days’ worth of sewage flowing into the lake.
Sewage is high in the nutrient phosphorus. When sewage spills into a body of water like a lake, the phosphorus it contains can cause the rapid growth of algae along the water’s surface. These ‘algal blooms’ prevent sunlight from penetrating the water and strip it of oxygen, harming its entire ecology. Phosphorus can also cause the growth of blue-green algae, which can be harmful to both humans and animals.
As algal blooms become more common on Windermere, Leigh Day is investigating United Utilities’ alleged role in the pollution.
Leigh Day is currently investigating potential legal action against United Utilities over the alleged impact of its pollution of Windermere. Register your interest here to receive updates from us.
Many people who live in the area or regularly visit the area will be able to join the claim, including if you:
- Rely on Windermere for hobbies and leisure, such as sailing, kayaking, or walking along the lakeside
- Have a business, charity or club which has been impacted by the sewage pollution
- Own or rent a property that has been impacted by sewage pollution, for example, by strong odours from algal blooms on the lake
The impact of allegedly unlawful sewage discharges on the local community is significant:
- It increases the risk of algal blooms, including blue-green algae, which can be harmful to people and animals
- It disrupts hobbies and clubs (swimmers, sailors and kayakers, to name a few) by blocking their access to Windermere.
- It harms the area's businesses, which rely on the lake, and the visitors who flock to Windermere