TWO sites in the Lake District have been discharging untreated sewage into a bathing water site for days. 

Hawkshead Pumping Station discharges into Esthwaite Water and Near Sawrey Waste Water Treatment Works into Cunsey Beck, which connects the water to Windermere. 

The sites have been discharging since Thursday, August 22. 

Esthwaite Water has been a grade one site of Special Scientific Interest since 1991 due to its invertebrate fauna and plants that have been designated as 'nationally scarce.' 

Matt Staniek, from campaign group Save Windermere, said: "Hawkshead Pumping Station and Near Sawrey wastewater treatment works have been discharging untreated sewage into a Site of Special Scientific Interest since the early hours of Thursday morning.

READ MORE: Steve Coogan, Lee Mack and thousands look to save Windermere

"Shouldn’t such a significant water body be protected from this exploitation?" 

Both works are assets managed by water company United Utilities.

A spokesperson 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.

“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.

“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 per cent 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.”