Residents living along the banks of the River Dart in Devon could have easily voiced their frustrations regarding the sewage discharges affecting their cherished river. However, a group of dedicated local environmental advocates has taken a proactive approach by establishing an innovative online platform that provides real-time updates on sewage spills, identifies frequently polluted areas, and outlines planned improvement initiatives, as well as those that have yet to be addressed.
Known as Friends of the Dart (FOD), this independent, non-profit organization claims that its River Hub is the first of its kind to compile detailed information about the pollution impacting this particular British river, overflow by overflow. FOD argues that it should be the responsibility of water companies or the Environment Agency to supply such accessible information, and since they have not, FOD has taken it upon itself to gather and offer what it believes is an essential service.
Rob Worthington, one of the platform’s developers, acknowledged the widespread frustration regarding sewage pollution. He stated, “We created River Hub to help channel that anger in a constructive manner, illustrating where the issues lie and the reasons behind them, enabling communities to prioritize which problems should be addressed first.”
The launch of this platform coincides with South West Water (SWW) facing nearly £800 million in fines due to sewage spills, including incidents in the River Camel in Cornwall, which, like the Dart, originates from the moors and flows into popular tourist areas. Additionally, during the Labour conference, Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized that water issues exemplify broader systemic failures in the UK and vowed to overturn the “ideological ban” on public ownership of water companies, a policy established during Margaret Thatcher’s administration.
While discussing River Hub with a reporter from the Guardian, Worthington sat on a bench at Steamer Quay in Totnes, a recognized bathing area. He expressed his reluctance to swim there, aware of upstream contamination issues. The platform features a section that allows users to see current sewage spills and those that have occurred within the last 12 hours. It also provides information on “dry spills,” which are discharges that happen during dry weather conditions.
Worthington noted that while other independent sewage monitoring tools, such as Top of the Poops, exist, River Hub goes further in its analysis. The platform includes a section titled “Why it Keeps Happening?” that examines whether sewage treatment facilities can manage the volume of waste generated by their local populations, concluding that not all are equipped adequately.
In the “Who is Fixing It?” section, River Hub outlines ongoing and planned remediation efforts, including expected completion dates, while also highlighting areas that lack scheduled improvements. A comprehensive “How We Know?” section explains the methodology behind the data presented, including the source of rainfall information used to classify dry spills.
Much of the data utilized, such as information on SWW spills and permits, is publicly accessible, though some details can be obscure, necessitating that FOD file freedom of information requests to obtain specific data.
Worthington has developed the hub alongside his full-time role as a business analyst and acknowledges that the information presented may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. He and his team welcome corrections to any errors they may have made.
FOD is offering this model at no cost to other groups interested in creating similar platforms for their local rivers, and several organizations connected to FOD have already expressed interest.
Residents in the Totnes area have shared experiences of falling ill after swimming in the Dart and its tributaries. Emma Roberts, an interfaith minister and theater director, recounted her hospitalization due to an E. coli infection following a swim. She remarked, “It’s shocking, really. The river is vital, and we should be protecting it rather than contaminating it.”
Although not affiliated with FOD, Roberts believes the hub will be beneficial. “The more information people have, the more pressure we can apply for change.” A quick glance at the hub indicates that the location where she fell ill is near a treatment facility that FOD suspects lacks adequate capacity.
Olivia Doherty, an advocate for children’s rights, shared that her son Seamus, 17, recently experienced stomach issues after swimming in the Dart. She emphasized that the United Nations recognizes young people’s right to safe environments, stating, “For me, that includes our rivers. It’s unfair if children miss out on these experiences because the water is polluted.”
Ben Brierley, who offers kayak tours on the Dart, noted that the hub could assist him in determining safe times for his clients to engage in river activities. He expressed disappointment that UK water companies have until 2035 to reduce sewage discharge into bathing waters and areas of ecological significance, with a deadline of 2050 for other locations. “It’s absurd that we’ll continue to pollute our rivers until 2050,” he remarked.
In response, SWW indicated that it welcomes public interest in river health. A spokesperson mentioned that their WaterFit Live platform provides customers with various data, including near real-time storm overflow information and details about investment initiatives aimed at improving river conditions.
The Environment Agency also commented, stating that it is actively addressing pollution issues in the Dart and supports community efforts to utilize data to promote higher standards. The agency noted that “100% of storm overflows are now monitored, and the data is publicly accessible,” as part of the government’s initiative to tackle storm overflow challenges.
