Actor Steve Coogan joins campaign calling for urgent action to tackle pollution in England's largest lake
The government is facing fresh criticism over its response to sewage pollution, after actor Steve Coogan this weekend joined an increasingly high-profile campaign protesting against the dumping of untreated sewage into the catchment of Lake Windermere in Cumbria.
In recent months, United Utilities, the water company that serves north west England, has been targeted by a series of weekly 'sewage strikes' organised by zoologist Matt Staniek.
The action - which is modelled on Greta Thunberg's high profile school strikes - has seen Staniek protest outside an information centre run by the company in Windermere for 24 consecutive weeks.
Yesterday he was joined by Coogan, who warned sewage spills were creating an ecological "timebomb" for England's largest lake.
"If England can't clean up its crowning glory, then what hope is there?" he said. "United Utilities are engaged in a sort of PR exercise... but they're not really doing anything to tackle the problem."
"People are entitled to expect United Utilities to deliver a good service, and putting sewage into the lake is not providing a good service," he added.
Sewage spills have been blamed for contributing to a series of algal blooms in the lake, which have turned parts of the lake green.
In comments reported in The Times, Coogan said he was backing the campaign as it was "winnable", highlighting how Lake Annecy in France had once been notorious for its pollution but is now famous for its clean water.
The actor and comedian called on the government and the opposition to come forward with more ambitious plans to tackle water pollution in the region, including new legislation to force water companies to reverse harm to Windermere and other lakes.
The protests are the latest flashpoint in an increasingly heated debate over how to tackle sewage spills and fund multi-billion pound water infrastructure upgrades.
Water industry insiders have argued levels of sewage pollution have fallen significantly in recent decades, but enhanced monitoring has made pollution which is occurring much more visible.
A United Utilities spokesperson said: "Over the last 20 years we have invested over £75m improving our wastewater services around Windermere, which has halved the levels of phosphorus entering the lake from our systems since 2015 and contributed to all four of the lake's bathing waters being classed as 'Excellent'. We are currently making an early start on a further £41m of planned investment to meet the new requirements of the Environment Act 2021, which means customers will not be paying twice."
But critics have countered that official data recently confirmed record numbers of sewage spills last year, while analysis has shown no rivers in England are in a 'good condition'. Campaigners have also accused water companies of underinvesting in infrastructure upgrades that were essential to cope with the increased rainfall that is resulting from climate change, while taking on debt and continuing to pay major dividends to shareholders.
Water companies are now calling for the government to approve a significant increase in water bills to help pay for further infrastructure upgrades. But campaigners counter the upgrades should be funded by shareholders who have benefited from excessive profits since the water industry was privatised.
The latest developments came after the government published a major new £35m plan on Friday to try and tackle pollution in the River Wye, which is under intense pressure from run off from farms in the region.
The new River Wye Action Plan features a range of measures, including new requirements for large poultry farms to export manure away from areas where they would otherwise cause excess pollution and up to £35m in grant support for on-farm poultry manure combustors in the Wye Special Area of Conservation catchment to facilitate the export of poultry litter.
The plan also includes support to help farmers implement better nutrient management, move away from inorganic fertilisers, and implement sustainable practices like riparian buffer strips.
In addition, the government announced the appointment of former Member of European Parliament, Anthea McIntyre, as 'River Champion' for the Wye catchment.
"The River Wye is facing real challenges, which is why the government is taking action to restore this important landscape and ensure it is better protected for future generations," said Farming Minister Mark Spencer. "Our plan will dramatically reduce the amount of nutrients entering the river, mostly by helping farmers transition to more sustainable practices. This will include providing up to £35m for on farm poultry litter combustors and trialling the use of emerging technology to help farmers share organic nutrients with their neighbours."
The new package of measures was welcomed by Soil Association campaign advisor Cathy Cliff, but she warned wider action was needed to tackle pollution from poultry farms. "While measures to move manure to different parts of the country will help to reduce pollution in the Wye, the sheer volume of manure being shifted is likely to lead to problems elsewhere," she said. "The Defra announcement followed the Soil Association's Stop Killing our Rivers campaign which also identified 10 further rivers in England and Wales at risk from intensive poultry pollution, as intensive poultry units holding millions of birds have been given permission to operate close to other river catchments around the UK. These rivers are already failing UK phosphate targets."
Ali Morse, water policy manager for The Wildlife Trusts, said: "This plan is welcome but it does not go nearly far enough to clean up the debilitating pollution problem of this much-loved river. For years, there has been too much nutrient pollution from animal poo flowing into the Wye, and a distinct lack of enforcement by agencies to stop polluters making a bad situation worse. The new plan's focus to ensure that the Wye does not continue to decline is important but helping it to then recover is an altogether bigger job."
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