A radio presenter in the Lake District is staging a 24-hour live broadcast marathon, playing songs that peaked at number two in the charts to protest against sewage dumping in the region's waterways. Lee Durrant, of community station Lake District Radio, begins his marathon at 8am on 14 November, aiming to highlight the ongoing issue of untreated sewage being discharged into Windermere and other water bodies.
The protest, dubbed 'Not so Golden Brown', draws attention to the fact that only 14% of England's rivers and lakes meet good ecological standards. Windermere, England's largest lake, was found to have high levels of bacteria from human faeces throughout the summer, according to comprehensive water quality analysis.
Durrant will play number two hits with river-related themes, such as Take That's 'The Flood' and 'Dirty Cash' by the Adventures of Stevie V. He will be joined by guests including campaigners from Save Windermere and Surfers Against Sewage, as well as environmental experts and representatives from water companies.
'What's more shocking? Fairytale of New York never making it to Christmas No 1, or United Utilities dumping sewage into Windermere and paying themselves huge dividends?' said Durrant. 'We're based in the Lake District so we're passionate about what's happening to our lakes, but it's become a wider issue across the country and around the world.'
Durrant admitted he is both anticipating and dreading the marathon, predicting that the 'witching hour' of 3am will be the toughest. Despite the challenge, he hopes the broadcast will raise awareness and pressure authorities to tackle the problem of sewage spills in protected areas like the Lake District National Park and world heritage site.
