Owners of septic tanks and other non-mains sewage systems in part of the Lake District are being offered an 100 per cent grant as an incentive to have them emptied this autumn.
The area around Skelwith Bridge, where watercourses feed into Windermere, is being targeted by the Lake District Foundation, one of 10 organisations which have formed Love Windermere, a partnership working to improve the area’s water quality.
With around 1,900 septic tanks in the Windermere area – one of the largest concentrations in the UK – the partnership is urging septic tank owners to act responsibly.
Sarah Swindley, chief executive of the Lake District Foundation, said: “While we can’t accurately measure the scale of the problem we do know that septic tanks are one of the sources of phosphorous entering the lake.
“We know that emptying and maintaining septic tanks and package sewage treatment plants can be costly. As well as offering financial support we can also put home-owners and businesses in touch with companies who are regulated and approved by the Environment Agency.”
A full grant will be offered to the first 50 applicants. Applications for support should be made to grants@lakedistrictfoundation.org.
The closing date for submissions is Monday October 2.
The Lake District Foundation has produced a leaflet which includes information on how to keep a septic tank in good condition. It can be found at https://callofnature.info/
