Concerns over seven days of continuous sewage discharge into Lake District waters have been dismissed by United Utilities.
It was revealed by the firm that storm overflows at Near Sawrey and Hawkshead water treatment works have been discharging into sites that flow into Windermere since last Thursday.
A United Utilities spokesman said: “Storm overflows are designed to operate during heavy rainfall as we have seen in the Lake District in recent days with more than double the amount of average rainfall.
“So far this year, August has seen more rainfall than in any other month and it is the fourth wettest of the 44 months since January 2021.”
But campaigners dispute the company’s claim and say that the weather has not been exceptional.
Water firms are permitted to release untreated sewage into rivers and seas when it rains heavily. The United Utilities spokesman added: ““Storm overflows prevent homes and businesses from flooding.
“We understand and share people’s concerns about their use, which is why we have invested hundreds of millions of pounds in recent years to reduce the number of times they operate.”
Heavy rain has battered Cumbria since last week, including Storm Lilian at the end of last week.
The spokesman added: ““We have proposed the biggest programme of investment for more than 100 years between 2025 and 2030 and this includes Elterwater, Hawkshead, Ambleside and Near Sawrey where we have proposed to reduce storm spills by 50% on 2022 figures.
“We continue to work with all organisations that impact water quality in the lake including farmers, septic tank owners, hotels, campsites, highways authorities and landowners to deliver the step change that we all want to see.”
