Investment

Multi-million-pound investment takes Windermere’s wastewater treatment to next level

United Utilities has been given the green light by its regulator to invest £200 million over the next five years to further reduce spills and take treatment standards at wastewater treatment works around Windermere to the next level.

Between 2025 and 2030, United Utilities will deliver an investment plan of more than £13 billion – the largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West in 100 years.

The work being carried out over the next five years will also help to improve water quality for 1.4 million customers, protect and enhance over 500km of rivers and bathing waters while also helping to reduce leakage by 26 per cent by 2030.

It is a huge boost for the North West economy, supporting 30,000 jobs in the region and 7,000 new roles.

For Cumbria that means:

  • Supporting over 10,600 people who are struggling to pay their bills. Support will double by 2030

  • Investing £914 million to reduce spills from 158 storm overflows and improving 219 kilometres of rivers

  • Restoring peatland across 2,144 hectares of land to improve water quality and reduce carbon emissions

  • Employing 650 people across Cumbria. The increased investment will create more green jobs

  • Working in partnership with groups like Love Windermere and the South Cumbria Rivers Trust for the benefit of the environment

Delivering action for Windermere

The investment for Windermere means improvement in wastewater treatment to protect water quality at Ambleside, Far Sawrey, Ferry House, Grasmere, Hawkhead, Langdale, Near Sawrey, Outgate and Troutbeck. This work will reduce spills from each of the six storm overflows around Windermere to an average of 10 per year.

Work is starting right now at Ambleside. The company is gearing up to build a new underground storage tank which can hold roughly the same as two Olympic sized swimming pools. This additional storage will help increase the amount of storm water the site can store and then return for full treatment, reducing the number of times the storm overflows need to operate during periods of heavy rainfall.

It’s not just traditional solutions to enhance Windermere’s water quality. United Utilities is also bringing world-leading innovations to Windermere. It’s the first water company in Europe to introduce an innovative low carbon, chemical-free wastewater treatment process called FujiClean and Near Sawrey will be one of our first sites to have the technology installed.

Residents will also see work begin at Langdale to introduce an innovative biological approach that uses renewable plant material to support the growth of the bacteria we use to treat wastewater.

Working together

Alongside investment in its own pipes and treatment works, the water company’s regulator has given the green light to explore how it can work with the community to enhance water quality in Windermere.

United Utilities will be exploring how it can apply innovations in wastewater treatment technology to septic tanks and package plants. If you’re a septic tank owner or have a business that uses a package plant, United Utilities would like to hear from you. Express your interest by emailing: windermere@uuplc.co.uk

Residents can also pop into the United Utilities Information Centre to learn more about this project and the investment in the area – 8 Cresent Road, Windermere, LA23 1EA


Source link

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Get our latest downloads and information first. Complete the form below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.


100% secure your website.