MONMOUTHSHIRE MP Catherine Fookes recently joined Friends of the River Wye at Monmouth Rowing Club to test water quality in the River Wye.

Volunteers from organisations like Friends of the River Wye regularly test the water for key indicators such as phosphates, nitres, temperature and water clarity.

This data is uploaded to a public online database and shared with agencies such as the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales to help them identify pollution hotspot and take action.

The River Wye is a site of international importance, but its condition is currently classed as “unfavourable”, with increasing pollution and a decline in wildlife.

Catherine Fookes MP, said: “It was really insightful to test the Wye alongside local citizen scientists. From the conversations we had, there are some signs that the UK Government’s action to clamp down on pollution is starting to have some positive effects, but there is still a lot more to do – particularly around agricultural run-off and sewage entering our rivers.”

Since becoming MP, Catherine has launched a campaign to clean up, Monmouthmouthshire’s rivers, consistently lobbying for a stronger action to protect waterways.

Through this work, she has helped secure £1 million for a major cross-border project to support the recovery of the River Wye, and helped shape the Water (Special Measures) Act, legislation which cracks down on polluting water bosses through measures including bonus bans and, in some cases, imprisonment.

Catherine Fookes, added: “Here in Monmouthshire, I will continue supporting local groups and joining testing where I can, and in Westminster I will keep do everything possible to push for stronger action to protect our rivers ad clean them up for good.”

If you’d like to get involved, Friends of the River Wye are looking for more volunteers to support their work and do testing. Anyone interested can get involved by contacting: [email protected].