Real-time water quality monitoring pilot gets under way across South Hams estuaries

Understanding what is happening beneath the surface of our rivers and estuaries depends on access to reliable, timely data. In Devon, UK, locally designed and manufactured technology from Teledyne Valeport is helping bring that information closer to the communities, researchers and organisations working to protect local waterways.

South Hams District Council has launched a water quality monitoring pilot designed to provide continuous insights into the condition of rivers and estuaries across the district. Key locations include the Yealm, Avon, Dart, Erme and Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary, with real-time information due to be made publicly accessible through an online dashboard.

At the heart of the project is instrumentation supplied by Teledyne Valeport, whose environmental monitoring sensors are designed and manufactured at its facility in Totnes, Devon. The project uses Valeport’s miniCT, pH and Hyperion optical sensors, providing measurements across parameters including conductivity, temperature and salinity, pH, turbidity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM).

Operating continuously, the sensors can identify changes in water conditions that may indicate pollution, providing the high-resolution data needed to build a clearer picture of water quality over time.

The UK government-funded initiative brings together South Hams District Council, Innovate UK, the University of Plymouth and Teledyne Valeport, with additional support from the Environment Agency, harbourmasters and local river and estuary groups. University of Plymouth experts are supporting sensor deployment and analysis of the data generated.

For Teledyne Valeport, the project demonstrates how instrumentation used for environmental monitoring around the world can also make a tangible difference close to home. By combining robust sensing technology with continuous monitoring and accessible data, the project aims to give communities and decision-makers better evidence to understand changing water conditions and support informed action.