Windermere Lakeside YMCA bathing water is on the western edge of the lake in the south
basin. It is a shallow sloping, shingle and gravel beach with broadleaved woodland
to the water's edge in places.
All storm overflows around Windermere are equipped to monitor the duration of spills
and United Utilities have published an online map detailing the location of live spills
events. This information can be used to aid a swimmer's decision to enter the water.
The only storm overflow that discharges directly to the lake is Glebe Road storm overflow.
This site was upgraded in 2013 to resolve flooding in the area. Between 2015 and 2020,
Glebe Road Pump Station received upgrades to reduce the spill frequency.
Windermere WwTW discharges straight to south basin and Ambleside WwTW discharges to
the Rothay. In 1992 phosphorus removal technology was introduced at Windermere WwTW
and Ambleside WwTW. This led to a significant reduction in the lake's phosphorus concentrations.
Between the early 2000s and 2020, the water company invested £70 million to improve
the water quality in Windermere. UV treatment was introduced at Windermere WwTW and
Ambleside WwTW during the investment period between 2000-2005, ensuring effective
disinfection of the discharge from the treatment works to protect bathing water quality.
UV treatment at Windermere WwTW was then upgraded further between 2015 and 2020. Total
phosphorus limits have been progressively tightened over the last 20 years from their
initial introduction of 2 mg/l in the early 2000s to 0.5 mg/l at Ambleside WwTW and
0.25 mg/l at Windermere WwTW. Investment announced in 2023 plans to reduce spills
from various storm overflows across the catchment by 2030.
Investigations, made by the Environment Agency, to the pollution sources in Windermere
have been long ongoing.
The Environment Agency put in place a plan to investigate potential pollution sources
close to the bathing water in 2001. This involved local investigations and water monitoring.
In 2009 a study was carried out by the Environment Agency on the three bathing waters
in Lake Windermere. The study found that the bathing water quality at Lakeside can
be influenced by a number of small streams including the Wilfin Beck, Low Cunsey Farm
Beck and Gill Beck.
The impact of the Windermere Sewage Treatment Works at Tower Wood on bathing water
quality in the lake is dependant on the wind direction and strength. In 2009 the Environment
Agency repeated an earlier campaign, carried out in 2002, which looked at the sewage
disposal from boats on the lake to protect bathing water quality. Byelaws on Windermere
prohibit the direct discharge from boat toilets to the lake.
More recently, the Love Windermere Partnership was set up in 2022 between nine organisations
from a wide range of sectors, including the Environment Agency. The partnership aims
to understand the pressures facing Windermere and prioritise effective solutions to
improve the condition of the lake, and thereby improve bathing water quality.
In 2023 the source apportionment model for phosphorus in the Windermere catchment
was updated and made public, identifying the main sources of phosphorus to the catchment.
During 2024 the Environment Agency has been undertaking a permit review process of
a selection of water company discharge permits to ensure that the permit limits are
fit for purpose. A selection of non-mains permits were also audited during 2023/2024.
This included an inspection of the plant, reviewing sample results and identifying
improvements to be made.
The Love Windermere Partnership, which formed in 2022, brings together the Environment
Agency, Lake District National Park Authority, the Lake District Foundation, The National
Trust, South Cumbria Rivers Trust, National Farmers Union, Westmoreland and Furness
Council, United Utilities and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership with the aim of
using collective expertise to identify and address critical knowledge gaps regarding
impacts on water quality in Windermere. The partnership involves various workstreams,
all working towards the overall goal of improving the condition of the lake. Citizen
Science work in the catchment, such as the Big Windermere Survey, also helps to focus
efforts made by the Environment Agency to improve water quality by identifying pollution
hotspots.
Lake Windermere can occasionally have aquatic plants washed up on the shore which
can be slippery on foot. If you have any concerns please contact the local authority
health contact for help and advice.
Sewerage systems are either combined systems that collect both surface water runoff
and foul sewage and delivers it to the treatment works; or separate systems that keep
the surface water separate to the foul drainage. Misconnections occur when wastewater
pipes are plumbed into surface water drains instead of the foul water sewerage system.
This can give rise to pollution when the wastewater is discharged directly to the
environment through the surface water drain. For example, a washing machine or toilet
may be incorrectly plumbed so that it discharges to the surface drain rather than
the foul sewage drain. Investigations by the Environment Agency and the water company
are ongoing into suspected misconnections on Mill Beck.
For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton
(microscopic algae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 10% of
visits, with 19% of visits noting the presence of phytoplankton (microscopic algae).
Algal blooms can be exacerbated under certain conditions including nutrient enrichment
and the increasing temperatures and extreme weather patterns that are occurring with
climate change.
The presence of algae is not assessed when determining the bathing water quality.
Therefore, it is possible that bathing waters can have very low levels of harmful
bacteria but have the right conditions for algal blooms to occur. Not all types of
algae pose a health risk to swimmers. However, there is some risk to human health
if a person comes into direct contact with blue-green algae. It can also be a risk
to animals such as dogs who may swim in or drink from affected water. Sightings of
blue-green algae can be reported via the Environment Agency's incident line and also
logged using UK CEH's ‘Bloomin Algae' app.
There are no active pollution risk forecasts made at this bathing water. However any
bathing water has the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this
occurs a pollution risk warning with associated advice against bathing will be issued
on this website.
There is a small stream which joins the lake between the boathouse and the jetty.
Any decline in quality of the stream would impact the bathing water quality as it
flows directly across the beach. The Wilfin Beck, Low Cunsey Farm Beck and Gill Beck
can impact bathing water quality depending on the strength of wind direction as well
as river flows. Following an investigation, the Environment Agency found that the
YMCA South Camp Stream and Great Oak Woods Stream do not impact upon bathing water
quality.
The only outfall of treated effluent directly to Lake Windermere is from Windermere
WwTW at Tower Wood. All other treatment works discharge to rivers that flow into the
lake.
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every
visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Windermere,
Lakeside YMCA for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available,
sewage debris was not noted at this site. Litter was not assessed as being sufficient
to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 16% of visits. Tarry residue
was not noted at this site.
The catchment area around Lake Windermere contains large amounts of farmland. During
and after periods of heavy rainfall excess water may not soak into agricultural land
causing runoff into the streams and rivers entering the lake as well as the lake itself.
The quality of the bathing water may decline as a result of such events.
A partnership between Natural England and the Environment Agency, as part of the England
Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative, aims to improve the Environment Agency
understanding of pollution issues . Following this initiative, the Environment Agency
work closely with farmers to enhance farming practices and reduce run off from farmland.
The Environment Agency have developed nutrient management plans with farmers, given
advice on the handling and storage of manures and helped them apply for grants to
improve manure storage. In 2009 a pollution prevention campaign was completed by the
Environment Agency in the Cunsey Beck and Black Beck catchments which drain to the
south basin of Lake Windermere to the north of Fell Foot. The campaign was aimed at
improving farm practices and gave advice on improvements that could be made.
The Environment Agency regulates the farming sector through programmed risk-based
inspections against a range of legal requirements and offer advice and guidance on
best farming practice and preventing pollution.
There are a number of discharges from private sewage systems serving some of the large
hotels situated beside the lake. There are also several hundred private septic tanks
which discharge either directly to the lake or into its tributaries. The lake is also
used by many small boats and pleasure crafts. The Environment Agency regulates these
discharges and where there is a risk to bathing water quality the Environment Agency
will step in to ensure improvements are made.
The Love Windermere Non-Mains Drainage workstream is focussed on ensuring septic tanks
and private sewage treatment works are well maintained within the catchment.
The Love Windermere Partnership also has a Land Management work stream that aims to
understand how the current state of Windermere relates to land management in the catchment
and develop a suite of interventions for land managers that reduces run-off.
Lake Windermere is located in the Lake District National Park in South Cumbria. It
is divided by a shallow sill into two basins: north and south. Several rivers, draining
the surrounding Lakeland fells, flow into the lake. The largest river is the Rothay,
located to the north. Land in the north is largely used for sheep grazing whilst
the southern area is more wooded. Tourism is vitally important to the local economy
and the whole catchment is used intensively for recreational purposes throughout the
year.
Seaweed (macroalgae) and phytoplankton (microscopic algae) are a natural part of the
marine and freshwater environment. Below we note whether these have been recorded
in quantities sufficient to be a nuisance.
The majority of sewers in England are “combined sewers” and carry both sewage and
surface water from roofs and drains. A storm overflow operates during heavy rainfall
when the sewerage system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water. The overflow
prevents sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties and gardens. An emergency
overflow will only operate infrequently, for example due to pump failure or blockage
in the sewerage system.
Heavy rain falling on pavements and roads often flows into surface water drains or
highway drains, ending up in local rivers and ultimately the sea. The quality of bathing
water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
It is the Environment Agency's role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing
waters. The water quality at a bathing water is dependent upon the type and area of
land (the catchment) draining to the water and the activities undertaken in that catchment.
The two main pressures affecting the quality of the bathing waters in Windermere are
nutrient enrichment (contributing to algal blooms) and bacterial pollution. These
issues are being exacerbated by the rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns
that are currently occurring with climate change. A large part of managing bathing
water quality involves reducing the input from pollutant sources. The main sources
consist of both mains and non mains sewage effluent, agriculture and other land management
activities.
