United Utilities has announced a £40 million scheme to improve water quality in Lake Windermere.

The project will see us lay a new 6.5km sewer and upgrade two local wastewater treatment works, in order to significantly reduce the amount of phosphorous in the lake. Phosphorous can cause algal blooms, which can reduce the amount of oxygen in the water - inhibiting aquatic life, and potentially impacting on recreational uses of the lake.

The scheme will reduce the number of times the sewer network overflows into the lake during heavy storms  - the overflows are a contributor of phosphorous in the lake.

Work will include the creation of a new 6.5km sewer to take extra sewage flows to theWindermere wastewater treatment works; improvements at the existing Glebe Road pumping station (whose purpose is to pump sewage flows uphill) and upgrades at both Windermere and Ambleside wastewater treatment works.

The scheme will commence in November this year, with work taking place throughout the winter months until March 2017.

Successive winter periods of work in 2018 and 2019 will also be required, with completion of all projects expected by March 2020.