Get real-time updates on Thames water quality, thanks to new kit installed in Windsor

Visitors to the Thames are now able to check the quality of the water – thanks to a new monitor installed in Windsor.

In a UK first, a 'groundbreaking' real-time water quality monitor has been launched, allowing paddleboarders, rowers, anglers and dog walkers to instantly check if it is safe to enter the river.

The data is based on real-time readings of E. coli bacteria – an indicator of sewage contamination – which can rise rapidly following rainfall or overflows.

Not all E. coli are pathogenic – in fact, most are not. But it is an ‘indicator bacteria’ – ie, experts infer the presence of ‘extremely harmful’ bacteria and viruses when they find it.

Elevated levels in the environment signal contamination from sewage overflows and indicate potential health risks.

During heavy rainstorms, bacterial levels can change dramatically within hours, but traditional testing methods create dangerous delays between contamination events and public awareness.

As such, E.coli levels ‘crucial information’ which, until now, involved days of waiting on lab tests to discover.

Now simple QR code scan will give instant access to live water quality data, answering the key question: Is it safe to go into the river today?

The monitor allows users to scan a QR code on their smartphone to see up-to-date water quality readings. Scanning the QR code takes people to a website with all the live data on it – E.coli readings and others.

These QR codes will be distributed to local river user groups and other platforms, as well as around the local area.

No one has to physically visit these codes to find out the information, however. Since the results are online, interested people can check before taking a trip to the river for the day.

As for the monitor itself, it has been installed near to Black Potts Ait, on private land for its protection.

This location is a good one because there are plenty of different kinds of river users there, say the people responsible for the monitor's installation.

Its unique technology allows continuous monitoring without need for human operation and it is self-cleaning – meaning it can operate long-term, unattended.

The system was developed by water quality monitoring technology firm Proteus Instruments, in partnership with conservation charity The River Summit.

The live E. coli monitor is set to go live this week and results can found here: proteus-instruments.com/uk-river-summit

Claire Zambuni, founder of The River Summit, said this is the first time this has been done in the UK. There is a similar system operating somewhere in Chicago, but this is a UK-first.

“When my son was young, I would have loved to know if the river was safe before letting him paddle,” she said.

“For families planning a riverside picnic, rowers preparing for morning training, or dog walkers whose pets love river swims, this technology transforms a simple question – ‘Is it safe today?’ – into an instant, science-based answer.

“This gives every parent, every river user, the power to make informed decisions about their family’s safety.

“This is more than monitoring – it is about empowering communities with the information they need to protect themselves and their rivers.”

Hannah Gunter, project research manager at Proteus Instruments said: “We believe this kind of accessible, real-time monitoring should be the norm, not the exception.

“By making water quality data easy to access and understand, we want to help empower communities to take an active role in protecting these vital ecosystems for generations to come.”