There can’t be many better places to raise a family than right here, by the largest lake in England. I’m standing on the National Trust beach at Millerground, one of the most picturesque public swimming spots along the 24-mile length of Lake Windermere, where Matt Staniek recalls spending long, carefree summer days splashing around.
Ed and George Sandys had happy recollections of swimming and paddling on the western shoreline of the lake, which is where their family has lived for hundreds of years.
George recalls the time when everyone was forced to search for hidden riches in the shallows after his grandfather’s signet ring was lost at sea. The bottom could easily be seen back then. Today, not so.
Not too long ago is what we’re discussing. Ed is 38, George is 37, and Matt is only 26.
But despite the sweltering temperatures from the Bank Holiday weekend, you won’t find any of them in Windermere. All year, Ed hasn’t visited. Matt won’t allow his dog near the lake in any way.
Ask any local if they can recall Windermere looking as strange as it has recently, and the majority will answer no.
Large areas have been turning alarmingly green over the last three months as an algae infestation has risen as a result of a poisonous concoction of hot weather, dwindling water supplies, and unidentified amounts of “nutrients,” most notably sewage. Less oxygen remains in the lake for fish and other species when all these components multiply.
The condition, often referred to as blue-green algae, is not new and has the potential to kill animals as well as seriously hurt humans. Nobody, however, can remember a large-scale outbreak. And nobody contests that it is artificial.
The torrents of wastewater gushing from the next overspill pipe may make British coastal resorts gag. That will at least ultimately travel to the ocean. Any harmful stuff is not flowing quickly here in this slow-moving lake where it can take a drop of water nine months to travel from one end to the other.
Viewed from within, on top of, or beneath Windermere’s waters, it is obvious that something is wrong. The situation is much more severe when viewed from the nearby hillsides, from an aircraft, or this week from a Daily Mail drone. It has actually been been observed from space.
The fact that these algal “blooms” can arise in a matter of minutes and vanish with the breeze is what many people find so annoying. However, they haven’t actually disappeared.
Now, due to the effects of climate change, a precarious scenario is about to tip.
Matt, a local-born zoologist who is now devoting all of his time (and his life’s savings) to raising awareness of the plight of his beloved Windermere, says, “People are realising that we may have to take a little bit of short-term pain to stop a long-term disaster—which is what will happen if we leave this lake to die.”
In a region that is virtually entirely reliant on tourism, one might expect that he would incite the fury of his neighbours.
However, I find that most people, including the local Liberal Democrat MP, council members, a Tory peer, and individuals like Peter Kelly, are quite supportive of what he is doing.
Peter is the owner of the well-known Swim The Lakes company in Ambleside, which organises guided swims, river swims, night swims, and even warm-ups for swimmers who cross the Channel. It also does a brisk business in wetsuits. You might anticipate him to downplay the situation given the nature of his firm, yet he is admirably forthright.
I frequently paddle the entire lake, he claims. “Some of it can appear to be crystal clear, while other parts are swamps.”
Even though we have always had algae, there are now more concentrated blooms than ever before; in certain spots, the air even smells like a sewer.
I always advise folks to avoid swimming in anything that is minging.
Peter has only ever called off a trip twice, and today he cancelled a one-mile guided swim from Millerground.
He made the choice despite his own water testing kit showing that section of the lake to be safe because of recent complaints of algae.
He says, “I just felt it wasn’t worth the danger,” citing the numerous other stunning lengths of crystal-clear, odourless water in neighbouring lakes. He therefore led his group to neighbouring Rydal Water in this instance.
His response to the issue? Well, we can’t really control the weather, but we can definitely control what goes into the water, he argues.
He agrees with the majority of people in this area that United Utilities, which provides water to the North West of England, bears the primary blame.
It is the largest water corporation in Britain, with a valuation of £7.4 billion, with salaries and bonuses to match (CEO Steve Mogford earned $3 million last year). Many residents assert that United cannot handle the millions of visitors who arrive throughout the year.
The Environment Agency claims that United released “storm” spills into the Windermere catchment for 6,992 hours in 2021. (down from 7,146 in 2020).
I run into former party leader and local Lib Dem MP Tim Farron at the Ambleside Library while he is touring his sizable Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.
There is no question that the hot weather and climate change are to blame, he asserts. There are other things we can all do, but there are primarily two problems.
“One” refers to the quantity of illegal septic tanks that are leaking into the lake. But in my opinion, United Utilities is the most important.
It needs to be addressed because even a moderately strong downpour might simply overload the system and that these overflow “events” are lawful. More storage tanks need to be installed, so provide them instructions.
Despite being tasked with keeping an eye on the situation, Mr. Farron contends that the Environment Agency’s options are limited both legally and financially. He specifically wants to see it granted the authority to control septic tanks.
According to official data, there are around 1,900 of these without access to the main sewage system.
Undoubtedly, United Utilities feels demonised. It notes that following a £40 million upgrade to a system that, it claims, can accommodate population growth through the year 2035, its treated effluent is of the best quality. However, there is no oversight of any overspill’s contents.
It’s odd that it won’t address “hearsay and supposition” or comment on the lake’s water quality, claiming that this is a subject for others to address. To decide what needs to be done, it is, however, committed to a new “Love Windermere” coalition, led by the Environment Agency.
According to a company statement to the Mail, “building on our own record levels of investment,” we are collaborating with other organisations through the Love Windermere partnership on a science-based plan that will prioritise actions that everyone who has an impact on the lake can do.
In a recent press release, the corporation accused six sewer obstructions brought on by fat buildup in drains on the part of neighbourhood eateries. The agricultural run-off from fields has a lot to answer for, a United official adds.
Tim Farron is not convinced. He claims that landowners are generally responsible and that farming is much less of a concern than it once was.
The last midden (slurry pit) on the estate was shut down 10 years ago by the Sandys family, who are in charge of 5,000 acres along five miles of Windermere shoreline.
According to Ed Sandys, the estate has contemporary septic tanks for each of its cottages, the fields are only used for temporary grazing, and a rewilding effort is underway.
He cites a recent incident that occurred on Cunsey Beck, a river that passes through his property and flows into a lake.
He came across a lot of dead fish and eels one day. I returned up the river and noticed some sludge coming from a pipe.
Water was fine upstream of the pipe. Through manhole covers, we returned along the pipe’s path to the neighbouring sewage works.
However, a spokeswoman for United Utilities is adamant that all of its machinery was in operation that day, that the pollution was unrelated to its operations, and that I should look for someone else to blame.
George Sandys, on the other hand, questions why United Utilities abruptly placed a brand-new generator at the aforementioned plant soon after the occurrence. United claims that this was merely an accident.
The Sandys family notes that the water by the outfall was tested by South Cumbria Rivers Trust, and the results, together with the odour, clearly suggested the presence of raw sewage.
The trust was then called by United Utilities, according to Dr. Roger Sweeting, the chairman of the trust and a fellow of the Freshwater Biological Association, and urged to retract any claims that sewage from the pipe was to blame. The Environment Agency is looking into the matter and has not yet responded.
According to Dr. Sweeting, this is just a small portion of a much larger issue that has to be addressed by everyone.
He claims that “United has actually done some excellent work and is looking into a new technique for removing a significant amount of phosphates from their output.”
People start hitting on them as soon as something goes wrong. Where obligations to shareholders and water quality overlap must be determined, but you also need to consult everyone who owns a septic tank.
We need a suitable 20-year water quality strategy instead of waving too many fingers or “Do this” initiatives like “Love Windermere.”
The River Leven, which flows from the southern end of the lake through the grounds of the trust’s president, Lord Cavendish, has seen its fish populations plummet.
He acknowledges that a number of things are to blame, including the ineffectiveness of the Environment Agency and septic tanks.
The Tory peer claims, “I have served on quangos and have been in government, and I can see that this one is not doing its job.” He is forthright despite being elevated by Margaret Thatcher: “I am afraid water privatisation has not been a success.”
The organisation claims to have spent £700,000 over the past ten years enhancing Windermere’s water quality, which it refers to as “a national asset.”
Matt Staniek shows me around his neighbourhood. The water in Great Langdale Beck is crystal clear all the way up past any water outfall pipes. Following the River Rothay down below Ambleside, we descend.
Matt points to the riverbed above the sewage facilities, which is rather clean, and the murkier depths below.
The river and lake converge a little further downstream. From our drone, we can see a dark brown spearhead slamming into a bed of similarly unappetizing grey-green algae.
United Utilities notes that although its plant is now the only one using treated wastewater from the river, it is by no means the only one. The outflow from the nearby industrial estate is indicated.
There are modest signs on the surrounding beach alerting people to the dangers of blue-green algae, including the potential for human skin rashes, diarrhoea, and vomiting, as well as the potential for animal and human fatalities.
Sunderland resident Shaun Evans-Peacock, 32, is getting out of a brief dip.
Despite some algae wisps, the water doesn’t seem too awful. Although he hasn’t noticed the warnings, he promises to take a shower after we point them out.
I run into a woman whose daughter, who is 11 years old, is paddling in the shallows.
She didn’t bring the family dog because she had seen the warning signs. Her daughter, who had vowed not to ingest any water, insisted on going in.
I notice a fleet of paddleboarders further out, several of whom keep sinking. Similar to them, thousands of people will be swimming this weekend. The majority of this algae is nontoxic, so you should be alright. Additionally, the majority of the Lake District is still charming and spotless.
However, the biggest lake of them all has a serious problem. The lovely tales of Beatrix Potter were set in the meadows above Windermere. Numerous of Arthur Ransome’s children’s classics were inspired by experiences in these waters.
However, it will be a case of Swallows and Enemas if nothing is done soon.