Community Water Testing Pilot At Scarborough South Bay Gets Backing

North Yorkshire Council has pledged to explore the rollout of community-led rapid water testing to provide faster and more accurate information for bathers at Scarborough South Bay.

North Yorkshire Council has expressed its support for community-led rapid bathing water testing at Scarborough South Bay, following the launch of a new citizen science pilot project.

The initiative, known as the South Bay Citizen Science Project, sees trained volunteers collecting water samples and using rapid testing equipment to build an independent picture of water quality in the area.

During a recent council meeting, Councillor Rich Maw asked if the authority would consider expanding the scheme to provide residents and visitors with more regular updates.

Councillor Rich Maw said:

"That citizen science bathing water pilot at Scarborough South Bay is now underway with trained volunteers using rapid testing to provide indicative daily information alongside the official environment agency monitoring.

Subject to the success of the pilot, would the exact member be willing to explore a medium term roll-out of community-led testing to provide more regular information for residents and visitors, particularly at South Bay, where the official annual classification is poor, but indicative testing may show that water quality is often suitable on many days during the bathing season?"

In response, North Yorkshire Council's Executive Member for Managing our Environment, Councillor Richard Foster, acknowledged the limitations of the current official monitoring system.

Councillor Richard Foster said:

"Current water quality monitoring relies on periodic sampling and approved laboratory testing during the bathing season.

Although essential, these processes are time consuming, and only provide a historic picture of the conditions, rather than what is happening when people enter the water. As a result, the public often learn about potential health risks after the fact.

Therefore, we will be pleased to explore, with partners, community testing, as we see it as a valuable and powerful tool for extending environmental monitoring and boosting public engagement.

Although not a replacement for official monitoring, we recognize that local groups possessing unique connection and geographical knowledge that makes them ideal for leading local monitoring proposals."

Councillor Maw has previously argued that the current official system, where the Environment Agency tests the water periodically and publishes results days later, is no longer fit for purpose.

He noted that rapid testing technology can identify elevated bacterial risks within thirteen minutes, whereas official results can take up to four days to be published.

Yorkshire Water has also acknowledged the need for quicker results and is actively exploring new methods to provide faster updates to the public.

Miles Cameron, Manager of Strategic Partnerships for Bathing Water at Yorkshire Water, described the push for immediate results as a major priority for the industry.

Miles Cameron said:

"Rapid testing is the Holy Grail. We've got a monitor in Scalby Beck and the idea of that is it looks at water quality parameters and then we take bacteriological samples which take days to process and ultimately the idea is to get a tool or an or a way of reconciling this data on your phone.

That is where we're trying to head to because this four-five day lag is not helpful. No one is telling what the water was like five days ago. It's because that was the technology it was all based on science 25-30 years ago going on a petri dish.

There is an awful lot going on in that space. We've got a number of trials, it's a very exciting space but recognize that really want something that gives you near or real-time water quality information."

To address these concerns, Yorkshire Water has initiated a two-year research project in collaboration with artificial intelligence specialists UnifAI Technology.

The project aims to use machine learning to provide real-time water quality predictions at twenty designated sites, including Scalby Beck in Scarborough and Springfield Avenue in Bridlington.

According to the water company, specialist monitoring technology will take readings every fifteen minutes at each location, measuring chemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH levels, ammonia, temperature, and turbidity. This real-time data will then be combined with the results of traditional water samples, which are lab-tested for harmful bacteria.

Faye Cossins, Coastal Delivery and Engagement Manager at Yorkshire Water, stated that the company understands the public's desire for clearer and quicker information.

Faye Cossins said:

"We know that people are passionate about their Yorkshire rivers and waterways, and they rightly want clearer, quicker information about water quality. This project has real potential to give communities near real‑time insights so they can make confident, informed decisions about taking a dip.

We're pleased to be leading this work with our partners and with funding from Ofwat's Breakthrough Challenge. It's an important step forward in innovation, transparency and preparing for future environmental monitoring requirements.

Using specialist monitoring sensors, on‑site sampling and UnifAI Technology machine‑learning, the 2-year project will gather over 7,800 samples from 20 varied inland bathing water sites. This data will be used to build a transferable, site‑agnostic AI model that can predict bacteria levels across different water types — from rivers to lidos to coastal inlets. If proven, the technology has the potential to be deployed widely and at scale."

If the artificial intelligence model proves successful following its data collection phase, Yorkshire Water hopes the public will be able to access near-live water quality predictions through a user-friendly web application.