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.

Despite rising public awareness and environmental concern, sewage spills continue to plague the River Dart. Data from 2023 paints a grim picture—and the figures for 2024 show no sign of real improvement.

At Friends of the Dart, our mission has always been about protecting the river we love—and that work is always stronger when it’s done together. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our involvement in a powerful new partnership aimed at tackling pollution in the Dart and its tributaries.

We were invited to present our work at the South Hams District Council Overview & Scrutiny Committee  Meeting on Thursday, 27th April 2025. Two of our Directors, Nicky Rajska and Hannah Pearson, presented findings from testing and proposed improvements for communication and transparency.