Independent water quality monitoring on the River Dart

Phase 3 showed that poor water quality is widespread across the Dart catchment. It pinpointed the hotspots, and the tributaries most likely to affect bathing waters. Phase 4 moves from mapping the catchment to investigating it: we put our sampling where it can link specific pollution sources to what happens downstream.

We sample around 30 sites in 2026, most of them twice a month in wet and dry weather. We keep our long-running records at the designated bathing waters and community sites, and add targeted work in three priority areas.

On the Ambrook and River Hems, we sample above and below Denbury, Broadhempston and Ipplepen sewage treatment works and Torbryan pumping station. At Malt Mill Lake, we sample outside the bathing season to support an Environment Agency investigation. Around Stoke Gabriel, we sample the Yalberton Stream, Mill Pool and Mill Point pontoon to understand why its bathing water fell from Sufficient to Poor.

With Level Water, Totnes Kayaks and Stoke Gabriel Boating Association, we are tracking how bacteria levels change along the river between Steamer Quay and Stoke Gabriel. With the Environment Agency, we are walking the Hems and Malt Mill Lake catchments to look for misconnected pipes and other point sources.

E. coli is measured with Petrifilm plates, checked every quarter against an accredited laboratory. We publish the results openly and use them with regulators, South West Water and decision-makers to press for action. The plan is reviewed through the year as new results come in.