A Suffolk project designed to monitor sewage and pollution in rivers is being extended to cover three more waterways.
The Four Rivers Project will now include the River Waveney, River Blyth, and the Alde-Ore system, building on successful work already carried out on the Deben.
Backed by more than £200,000 of East Suffolk Council funding over three years, the project relies on volunteers to take monthly samples at multiple locations. They test for E. coli and phosphates — which can come from sewage treatment works and farmland run-off — as well as counting riverfly larvae, an important marker of river health.
The initiative will also provide regular updates on bathing water quality and share results with regulators, including the Environment Agency.
Volunteers, including retired scientists, use University of Suffolk-approved methods to carry out the work.
The Environment Agency said the project would help ensure Suffolk’s rivers continue to meet the needs of both people and the environment.
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