A new project has been launched to tackle private sewage pollution in the Windermere catchment.
South Cumbria Rivers Trust is leading on the initiative to improve the health of Windermere’s freshwater environments, supported by Lake District Foundation.
Private sewage systems, like cesspits and septic tanks, are wastewater treatment systems commonly used in areas without access to mains sewerage.
While safe and effective when properly maintained, poorly managed or failing private sewage systems can leak harmful bacteria, nutrients and chemicals into nearby rivers, lakes and groundwater.
This can lead to water pollution, algal blooms and damage to sensitive freshwater habitats.
In the Windermere catchment, thousands of properties rely on private sewage systems. The rivers trust said improving how they were managed was vital to protecting water quality and the wider environment.
The Windermere Septic Tank Emptying Project, funded by the Government, will work directly with homeowners and businesses to better manage private sewage systems and reduce pollution in the lake and the wider catchment.
Over the next 12 months, Windermere STEP will focus on Troutbeck, Grasmere, Far Sawrey and Esthwaite.
The locations were identified through a non-mains drainage hotspot identification exercise carried out as part of the Love Windermere Partnership’s work on sewage pollution.
Through a combination of door-to-door assessments, partnership work with local parish councils, engagement with holiday cottage companies and estate agents as well as tailored support for businesses, the project aims to understand the real-world challenges around non-mains sewage systems.
Expert technical advice and a funded emptying programme, will be offered to selected properties most at risk of contributing to water quality decline.
Rachael Halhead, partnerships and engagement manager at South Cumbria Rivers Trust, said: “One of the key objectives is to test a range of engagement approaches and identify what works best.
“This insight will feed into the creation of a national toolkit to support private sewage system management in areas across the UK.”
It is funded through the Water Restoration Fund, using environmental fines and penalties collected from and sewerage companies between April 2022 and October 2023 to restore lakes, rivers and streams.
