January results
Friends of the Dart water quality monitoring in January was made possible by a very generous donation from Dartington Village Stores. Their support is directly contributing to our ongoing testing of the River Dart, and we’re extremely grateful for their help.
8 January 2026 – Wet Weather Sampling #1
Following 16.5 mm of rainfall in the previous 48 hours, we sampled sites from Holne Weir down to Stoke Gabriel, alongside several smaller streams in the Stoke Gabriel catchment. This reflects our increased focus on the area following the Stoke Gabriel bathing site being classified as “Poor” in 2025.
Although several combined sewer overflows (CSOs) had spilled earlier that day, none were actively spilling at the time of sampling, with the exception of Rattery Sewage Treatment Works.
Results showed generally low E. coli levels upstream, with a notable increase at Steamer Quay, continuing a pattern we have seen across our wider monitoring. This is likely linked to pollution inputs from the River Hems and Malt Mill Lake.
Yalberton Stream, which flows into Mill Pool, also showed elevated E. coli levels, while levels within Mill Pool itself were lower, suggesting dilution. One of two surface water pipes discharging into Mill Pool showed elevated E. coli levels, suggesting a possible pipe misconnection (where household sewage is mistakenly connected into surface water drains and discharged directly into the River). A dry weather sample will help confirm this, so as soon as we have a consistent dry spell we’ll be heading back to collect more data.
13 January 2026 – Ipplepen & Torbryan Walkover (with the Environment Agency)
This week we carried out the first of a planned series of walkover investigations in collaboration with the Environment Agency. The walkover focused on small tributaries around Ipplepen and Torbryan, which feed into the Ambrook, a tributary of the River Hems. In the 48 hours before sampling, 27.9 mm of rainfall had fallen, meaning results are likely to reflect pollution washed into the River from the surrounding land.
Our Petrifilm results showed elevated E. coli levels across several sites, with particularly high levels upstream of where the stream running through Ipplepen meets the Ambrook, and within the Torbryan tributary.
All samples were analysed using both Petrifilm and accredited laboratory methods. These paired results feed into our ongoing validation work, helping us statistically compare the two methods and strengthen confidence in our community monitoring data.
Results shared by the Environment Agency supported the same patterns seen in our data. The combined results also highlighted two suspected pipe misconnections in Ipplepen. These are important to identify because they act as constant sources of pollution, releasing untreated sewage into waterways. Reporting these to South West Water for investigation is a key step in reducing long-term pollution in the River Dart catchment.
22 January 2026 – Wet Weather Sampling #2
This week we collected fewer samples than usual while scouting new sites for our Phase 4 monitoring programme. Sampling took place after 39.6 mm of rainfall in the previous 48 hours. Two CSOs in Dartmouth and two in Kingswear had spilled in the 24 hours prior to sampling.
Results showed a small increase in E. coli between upstream and downstream sites at Malt Mill Lake. The sample taken from the Dittisham pontoon recorded 2,400 cfu/100 ml, likely reflecting increased runoff following heavy rainfall. We sampled from the pontoon rather than the official bathing site due to low tide making access difficult.
As part of Phase 4, we will be focusing on how tides influence water quality at bathing sites. The E. coli concentration at Warfleet Creek on this date was 300 cfu/100 ml.
Additional Testing Work in January
January testing was more limited than in previous months for two main reasons.
Firstly, our monitoring strategy aims to include one dry weather sample and one wet weather sample each month. January was consistently wet on sampling days, meaning we were unable to collect any true dry weather data.
Secondly, we are now transitioning into our Phase 4 testing programme. This has involved a lot of behind-the-scenes work to finalise new sampling plans and prepare detailed investigation proposals for key areas of concern. These documents will be published on our website soon for anyone interested in learning more about how and where we’ll be monitoring in 2026.