New Forest Water Watch is a growing community-led initiative bringing together around 60 volunteers across 20 local groups to monitor the health of rivers and streams throughout the New Forest. The project was born out of Lymington’s own ‘Dirty Business’, a major E. coli pollution event that first galvanised local concern (full details available on our blog).
From the Waterside in the east to Christchurch in the west, and from Testwood in the north to Milford on Sea in the south, we now carry out monthly testing for E. coli and nutrient levels, building a detailed picture of water quality across our unique landscape. Our work highlights the excellent conditions often found in the streams and rivers at the heart of the forest, while also identifying and responding to significant pollution events, particularly around the edges of the forest, where most people live and work. In our very first month, our volunteers have already helped uncover a significant issue at Milford-on-Sea, demonstrating the real impact of community science.
To continue and expand this work, we rely on public support: sponsoring a testing kit costs just £12 for E. coli or £15 for five nitrate and phosphate tests. If you’d like to support cleaner, healthier waterways in the New Forest, please consider donating via our JustGiving page.
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Testing the water
March 2026: We're overjoyed at the interest we've had so far from volunteers wanting to get involved in water testing! We hope that these two videos of testing taking place at Efford Mill in Lymington will help volunteers better understand the testing processes.
Video 1: Testing for nitrates and phosphates
Video 2: Testing for E.Coli
LAUNCH OF NEW FOREST WATER WATCH
This week we launched New Forest Water Watch at public events held at St Barbe Climate Chats and at Lymington Town Sailing Club. We are hugely grateful for public support at these events. New Forest Water Watch is a community-based freshwater monitoring initiative that will work to build a robust, evidence-led picture of water health across the New Forest.
Our work brings together trained volunteers, scientific methods, and open data, we monitor changing conditions, identify environmental pressures, and support informed protection of rivers, streams, and ponds.
PARTNERS
New Forest Water Watch will partner with both FLOW CIC and Water Rangers UK, whose monitoring systems combine field-based water testing with an open digital platform for recording, managing, and sharing environmental data. This will enable consistent, scientifically grounded monitoring while making high-quality environmental data accessible to communities, researchers, and environmental organisations. Importantly, members of the public will see whether our local rivers and streams are fit for bathing.
Water Rangers UK Testing Kit
HOW IT WORKS
Volunteer groups around the New Forest will be using Kyuritsu tests for nitrates and phosphates. We have used these several times for Freshwater Watch’s Water Blitz. They are easy for people to use and understand, and they give reliable results. Some groups will also measure key indicators including dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, conductivity, and nutrients using reliable field methods.
Importantly, we are very keen to see E.coli eliminated from our water. Of course we will be testing again, and all groups will receive R cards. Findings are shared openly, allowing data about freshwater health to be publicly available and trends to be tracked.
All results are reviewed and stored using recognised scientific data standards to ensure consistency and long-term value. WIthout this, the water companies simply do not take readings seriously.
Kyuritsu water testing kit
SUPPORT
Would you like to support us in our aim to freshwater protection? We welcome new volunteers and partner organisations. We are very grateful for those who have lent support so far. If you would like to support you could message us through this website, or go to our Just Giving page here.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/newforestwaterwatch
You could get involved by taking part in monitoring sessions and supporting the protection of New Forest waters. You could also donate to further our work. Testing reagents are consumable rather than recyclable, and as we extend our work, so costs mount up.
Together, we can build a clear, evidence-based picture of freshwater health, and help safeguard it for the future.
WHY IT MATTERS
Charlotte Baker, who introduced and mediated St Barbes’ Climate Chats, gave a brilliant and disturbing personal account of an infection with E.coli; one that members of the audience won’t forget. And with respect to our own thoughts on E.coli, read one of our recent blogs on its effects. We are desperately keem to see the elimination of E.coli pollution in the Lymington River, and in all New Forest streams.
Freshwater is fundamental to the New Forest’s biodiversity and ecological resilience. Long-term monitoring helps detect change, identify pressures, and support evidence-based protection of rivers, streams, and ponds.
