An upgrade of a Lake District wastewater treatment works has begun.
United Utilities has started work on the Troutbeck facility and said it will improve the quality of the treated wastewater returned to the environment.
It said it was part of its wider investment plans to improve water quality across the Windemere catchment.
At Troutbeck, an innovative chemical-free sewage treatment process called FujiClean, which originates from Japan, will be installed.
United Utilities said it was the first water company in Europe to introduce the low carbon, chemical-free wastewater treatment process for use at smaller sites.
The FujiClean system was developed to provide an alternative to septic tanks.
The initial work at Troutbeck will require the removal of some small trees at the site before a temporary FujiClean unit is installed next month.
United Utilities said it would to help bring some immediate improvements while larger, permanent FujiClean units will be put in place next year.
Andrew Kendall, wastewater business lead for Cumbria at United Utilities, said: “This is another key milestone for our plans to improve water quality across Windermere. By using innovative technology like FujiClean at rural sites like Troutbeck, it allows us to deliver benefits to the community and environment quickly.”
United Utilities is upgrading nine of its wastewater treatment works around Windermere. It will also be reducing the number of times that six storm overflows in the catchment operate during periods of heavy rain, it said.
