United Utilities will begin work on a £16m scheme to help clean up Cumbria’s Duddon Estuary, which includes installing ultra-violet equipment to kill bugs.
The project, in Millom, will see the equipment fitted at the town’s sewage works, as well as a new 1.25km pipe and new pumps.
Millom's new ultra-violet disinfection plant is a first for United Utilities and thought to be one of the first of its kind in England. It has previously only ever been used in this way in the UK in Wales.
The idea is to reduce and clean-up any storm water which spills from Millom’s sewers into the sea during very heavy rains.
Roger Woodcock, project manager at United Utilities, explains:
"All sewer systems the world over need somewhere to overflow in a controlled manner if it rains too much. In Millom’s case, that is into the sea.
"Our work is about keeping Millom’s storm overflows to a minimum, and when they do happen to make sure the water is disinfected by zapping the bacteria using UV rays. It’s a natural process, which mimics the effect of sunlight and improves water quality. It's just one of the ways we're doing our bit to improve Cumbria's coasts, seas and bathing beaches."
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
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