We’re testing water again. This time we include E.coli

Help us protect our New Forest water courses

Between April 25 and 28, New Forest Friends of the Earth will once again be heading out to test water quality in local rivers, streams, and ponds.

Testing for E.coli

We will be testing five sites for E.coli but our focus for most sites will be on checking for nitrates and phosphates. Both can harm aquatic life and indicate pollution from agricultural or domestic sources.

Testing for Nitrates on Danes Stream

During our last round of testing in September, we were pleased to find that many of the streams and ponds in the centre of the New Forest had very good water quality. However, not all sites fared so well. We found excess levels of nitrates or phosphates in:

   •   Chewton Bunny

   •   Danes Stream

   •   A small stream in Ashley

These areas remain of concern, and we’ll be revisiting them this month. In addition, we’ll be collecting water samples from the Beaulieu River, Lymington River, and Bartley Water, and this will help us build a clearer picture of water health across the wider area.

Some streams had particularly high phosphate levels.

We will be testing four sites for E. coli. These tests require a different, more detailed protocol and experimental which we will explain at our next meeting on April 22nd. We already have a small egg incubator that’s part of the process!

We’re inviting anyone interested in learning about clean rivers to join us at a pre-testing meeting on April 22 at 7pm at Efford Lodge. We’ll be distributing testing kits to those who are taking part, going over the timing, the methodology, explaining how we will carry out both the nutrient and E. coli testing safely and effectively.

If you’re concerned about the health of your local stream or pond—or if you’d simply like to learn about other contribute to a meaningful citizen science project—this is a great opportunity to make a difference.

Please contact us beforehand if you’d like to join us on April 22nd. We’d love to hear from you!

Together, we can gather vital data to protect the waters of the New Forest.