Water campaign makes progress.

The campaign by Trudy Harrison MP and local residents to keep softer water for Copeland has made significant progress with a change in policy by the water supply company.

United Utilities had recently begun to mix water from Ennerdale  the traditional source of supply for West Cumbria and which provides "soft" water, with water from boreholes near Egremont which is rather "harder."

Many local residents had noticed a change in the taste and characteristics of the water supply, and thousands joined the campaign by Trudy Harrison MP or contacted United Utilities themselves.

Following a meeting with Copeland MP Trudy Harrison and Copeland mayor Mike Starkie, United Utilities have agreed to reverse this policy, It remains the long-term intention to replace supply from Ennerdale Water with water piped through from Thirlmere when a pipe is completed in 2022. (This should not be a problem, as Thirlmere, like Ennerdale Water, provides "soft" water.)

But during the intervening years UU have agreed not to top up water from Ennerdale with water from boreholes except in conditions of drought, which is a relatively rare occurrence in Cumbria (lately we tend to have the opposite problem,)

Campaigners described the change as "a step in the right direction" though they also made the valid point that we will need to monitor how the new arrangement works in practice.

More details from the News and Star website here.

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