Dart volunteers put sewage spills and repair plans in one place
People living beside the River Dart can now check sewage spills and planned improvements without piecing together scattered records themselves. Friends of the Dart has launched River Hub, a free public tool that brings the information together for individual storm overflows.
Visitors can explore spill histories, see whether treatment works appear able to serve their connected population, and find places where a known problem has no clear repair plan. They can also save particular overflows to a watchlist.
Kayak guide Ben Brierley told the Guardian it could help him plan outings. The volunteers also offer their model free to other river groups, with a matching service launching on the Teign.
The hub is a way to scrutinise pollution, not proof that the river is clean. Its live board warns that bacteria can persist after discharges stop, and that missing data offers no reassurance.
Residents now have a clearer starting point for asking what needs fixing on their stretch of river.
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