Citizen Science Data HQ

Updated by Kirsty Davies & Lizzie Cresswell

Citizen Science Results

Our UK-wide Citizen Science water quality programme works with communities to reveal the state of their local water quality. For many, this is the only testing that occurs at their favourite swim, surf or paddle spots.

How to use this map

This map gives you data on bacteria in the water which could indicate sewage pollution: Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci. These are faecal indicator organisms, and what regulators (such as the Environment Agency) use to measure water quality at designated bathing waters.


Accessing the data

If you click on a coloured dot, it will tell you bacteria counts for each weekly test at that location. It’s downloadable too – simply zoom in so the locations you want data for are on screen, and then scroll to the bottom of the menu on the left, and you’ll be able to download in various file formats.

Understanding what the data means

For a more reliable picture of overall water health, you can use the data to calculate a bathing water classification for your swim spot. See how below.


Or, to get a snapshot, you can use the table below to understand what these numbers tell you about water quality. The calculation changes depending on if the water is a freshwater or coastal/transitional location.

If your swim spot is inland (rivers, lakes, lochs, streams etc):

If your swim spot is coastal or transitional (beaches, estuaries, firths):

Want to get involved in Citizen Science? Find our Toolkit below.

Kirsty Davies (she / her) & Lizzie Cresswell (she / her)

Protecting Wild Waters Team

Protecting Wild Waters is a campaign to increase the number of designated bathing sites in the UK at our well-loved rivers, lakes and beaches.

Bathing waters are the only stretches of waterway where there’s an obligation to regularly monitor for bacteria harmful to human health and to hold polluters to account.

We support communities who are applying for bathing water status at their local waterway. We also lead on the Citizen Science water quality programme. Citizen science is vital in evidencing the sewage scandal and its impact on the health of our waterways.

Communities are using citizen science data to bolster their local campaign for cleaner rivers, lakes and seas which drives change at national policy level.