NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A DROUGHT PERMIT

UNITED UTILITIES WATER PLC

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A DROUGHT PERMIT

TAKE NOTICE that due to the threat of a serious water shortage in the part of its water supply area served by Windermere, caused by an exceptional shortage of rain, United Utilities Water Limited ("the Company") is applying to the Environment Agency for a drought permit under Section 79A of the Water Resources Act 1991.

The proposed drought permit, which is intended to apply for 6 months, will allow the Company to abstract water from Windermere when the flow in the River Leven is lower than permitted under the current abstraction licence. It will allow the Company to abstract when the flow is at least 95 megalitres (20.9 million gallons) per day for the duration of the drought permit instead of the current specified flows for May to September inclusive and October to April inclusive. It will also replace the overall limitation of 36,504 megalitres (8,030 million gallons) per year with a limit of 37,436.31 megalitres (8,235 million gallons) in the 6 month period in respect of all water abstracted from Windermere, whilst the permit is in operation.

The anticipated effect of the drought permit, if granted, will be to increase the amount of water available for supply in the North West region, by reducing the amounts needed to be abstracted from the Haweswater and Thirlmere Reservoirs. This will help to safeguard longer term supplies for public use. The effect of this will be a reduction in the flow of the River Leven downstream of Windermere. The proposal does not seek any powers to lower the level of Windermere. In consultation with the Environment Agency and other bodies, including Natural England, the Company has carried out a comprehensive environmental assessment into the potential impact of the proposed permit.

Anyone may inspect the proposals, free of charge, during normal working hours at:-

? Windermere Public Library, Ellerthwaite Road, Windermere, LA23 2AJ. 015394 88945.



? United Utilities Water Limited, Haweswater House, Lingley Mere Business Park, Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire. WA5 3LP. 01925 679800.



? United Utilities Water Limited, Keswick Visitor Centre, 32 Lake Road, Keswick, CA12 5DQ. 01768775429.



? Environment Agency, Ghyll Mount, Gillan Way, Penrith 40 Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria. CA11 9BP. By appointment. 03708 506506.



for a period of 8 days from the publication of this notice.

Objections may be made in writing to the Environment Agency at Water Resources Permitting Support Centre, Environment Agency, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Parkway Business Park, Sheffield, S9 4WF or psc-waterresources@environment-agency.gov.uk. Objections should be made immediately and in any event by 5pm on 26th July 2018. Objectors may send a copy of their objection to the address below.

Dated 19th July 2018

David Hannon

Head of Legal Services

United Utilities Water Limited

Grasmere House

Lingley Mere Business Park

Lingley Green Avenue

Great Sankey

Warrington WA5 3LP