‘It’s shocking really’: Devon community tracks River Dart sewage spills

Citizen environmentalists create online platform that flags spills in real time and highlights repeatedly polluted spots

The easy thing for the people who live on the banks of the River Dart in Devon might have been to grumble and groan about the sewage spills that blight their beloved waterway.

Instead, citizen environmentalists in the area have created a unique online platform that flags up spills in real time, highlights spots that are repeatedly polluted, and sets out where improvement work is planned – and where it isn’t.