Friends of the Dart is a Community-Interest Company (CIC) working to protect the River Dart through science, advocacy, and collaboration. One of our key activities is monitoring the quality of the River’s water to understand pollution levels and guide our campaigning efforts.

Before adopting Petrifilm plates for routine monitoring, we validated their reliability by comparing E. coli results with those from an accredited lab. Quarterly checks now ensure consistency, with split samples analysed both in-house and by the lab. By comparing patterns across sites, we confirm Petrifilms remain a dependable, cost-effective tool for tracking pollution in the Dart catchment.

Following huge community, business and organisational support we were awarded four Community Bathing Sites and four DEFRA-designated Bathing Waters along the Dart. This designation isn’t a safety badge—it’s a regulatory mechanism. When a site is officially designated, the Environment Agency is required to test the water regularly for two key types of bacteria: E. coli and enterococci.

With support from Surfers Against Sewage, three South West groups—Friends of the Dart, Friends of the River Teign, and the St Agnes Water Users Group—took part in a three-hour session with Sir Jon Cunliffe, Chair of the Independent Water Commission. Together, we made the case for deeper community involvement in water industry regulation.

Recent news reports about the detection of Salmonella Typhi in the River Dart have, understandably, caused concern. We’d like to offer some clarity and context to support an informed understanding of what’s actually been found—and what it does and does not mean.