Partners: Environment Agency, Ludlow Town Council & Shropshire Council
Aims: The River Teme at Ludlow and River Severn at Frankwell were designated as a bathing sites in May 2024, however, there was a need to improve general understanding of the river’s water quality for bathers using the site.
What we did: We installed a Fluidion Alert 2 Sensor and sonde using wireless technology to provide daily water quality monitoring. The sensors collect data autonomously on bacteria levels, overall water quality, rainfall and flow. This autonomous water sampling technology means more frequent samples can be taken and better data obtained far more quickly (within hours rather than weeks). The data is available to the general public via a smart app in order to allow swimmers to make an informed choice on the level of risk of going for a dip.
What do we hope to achieve: The combination of autonomous bacteria sampling with rainfall and river flow data provides a better range of data to inform river users, giving them more knowledge to remain safe when using the river.
How to access the smart app: If you want to try it yourself, download the app here.