Collaboration to power local council’s real-time water quality monitoring project

Teledyne Valeport, a leading UK manufacturer and designer of oceanographic and hydrographic instruments, has supplied its cutting-edge sensors for South Hams District Council’s new monitoring initiative designed to provide communities with real-time insights into local river health in South Hams, Devon.

The project will see the miniCT, pH, and Hyperion optical sensors deployed across key rivers and estuaries in the South Hams, feeding live data to an online public dashboard due to launch in late 2025. By detecting changes in the water that may indicate pollution events, the system aims to empower residents, experts and agencies to make faster, evidence-based decisions around tackling water pollution.

Amy Thompson, Teledyne Valeport Innovation & Product Manager, said: “At a time when concerns about water quality have understandably come to the forefront, we’re pleased to be working alongside South Hams District Council on this project. Our sensors have the ability to provide the kind of real-time insights into water quality that we hope will enable decisions around tackling water pollution that benefit both the environment and the local communities.

“This project is utilising our latest sensors, all designed and manufactured at our Totnes facility. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our instruments that are used worldwide being applied to such an important local initiative."

The project is government funded, and the council has partnered with various other local organisations too, including the University of Plymouth, and community-led river and estuary groups.

Cllr John McKay, Executive Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, at South Hams District Council, said: “This is a brilliant example of what can happen when communities, researchers and businesses join forces to tackle real problems. Local groups have been key to shaping this project – and now we’re giving them, and everyone else, access to real-time water quality data so we can all play a part in protecting our rivers and coastline.”

As concerns around water quality rise, Teledyne Valeport is proud to be at the heart of a pioneering new initiative to improve water quality across South Hams, Devon. This project demonstrates the potential of Teledyne Valeport’s technology to support more transparent and informed decision-making. It represents an important step toward ensuring that reliable, real-time data is available to help protect the UK’s waterways for the future.