High tech buoy to be used to monitor water quality

A high-tech buoy that continuously monitors water quality is to be launched on the River Wye in Herefordshire.

Supplied by AquaWatch Solutions - in partnership with wastewater treatment firm Haigh Environmental - the WaQA device will take to the water for the first time on Friday afternoon from Ross Rowing Club.

The idea is for the buoy to measure indicators such as turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature, which is fed into an online platform that provides instant analysis.

Haigh Environmental director Luke Shepherd said: "As a company, we are genuinely motivated by the desire to improve water quality in communities across the UK, and particularly here in the beautiful Wye Valley."

He added: "This buoy brings cutting-edge technology to Ross, helping provide the rowing club and other groups with information about water quality right on their doorstep."

The project aims to enable Ross Rowing Club and other local groups to gain a better understanding of their local water quality.

Club chair Jonathan Preece said it had also gained sponsorship from Haigh Environmental, which would be used to help develop its crews.

Last month, the Wye became the first river in the UK to be given cross-border rights covering it from source to sea.

River pollution has been in the spotlight across the UK in recent years and there have been questions about the role of large scale chicken farming along the route of the Wye.

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