Working towards a healthy Tamar River
Drip Drip is a community group based around Calstock, sharing professional water-testing results in plain English and advocating for cleaner, safer waterways across the Tamar. We sample weekly, publish what we find, and work with our neighbours and decision-makers to improve river health.
What We Do
Protecting the Tamar through monitoring, community engagement, and advocacy for cleaner waterways.
Monitoring
We collect river samples at regular sites near Calstock (e.g., Okel Tor and Calstock Quay) and send them for accredited laboratory testing for two faecal-indicator bacteria: E. coli and intestinal enterococci. These help indicate sewage and runoff contamination.
Community
We run stalls and take part in local events (e.g., Tamar Valley River Festival), share results, and encourage safer river use — especially after rain. Our goal is to keep the community informed about water quality and safety.
Action & Advocacy
We raise issues highlighted by our data (e.g., overflows, runoff), and signpost the public to live overflow information (WaterFit Live) while pressing for upstream fixes. We work with decision-makers to improve river health.
Before You Swim or Paddle
Rain matters. Heavy rain washes contaminants from urban and rural land into rivers and can coincide with storm overflow activations. Always check conditions before entering the water.
The Tamar Valley
A nationally important landscape with rich heritage and unique wildlife, including the UK's only breeding site for the critically endangered Allis shad.
The River Tamar
The River Tamar runs ~61 miles (98 km), forming most of the historic boundary between Devon and Cornwall, flowing into Plymouth Sound. The valley is protected as the Tamar Valley National Landscape (formerly AONB) and parts fall within a UNESCO World Heritage mining landscape.
Protected Wildlife
The lower Tamar/Tavy estuary is an SSSI and part of the Plymouth Sound & Estuaries protected complex, important for wintering wildfowl and waders. At Gunnislake Weir, the Tamar hosts the UK's only known breeding site for the critically endangered Allis shad.
Calstock Wetlands
The Calstock Flood Defence & Intertidal Habitat scheme (completed 2021) created ~11 hectares of new wetlands by reconnecting the river to its floodplain — now monitored by scientists and providing vital habitat for birds and other species.
Stay Informed About River Health
Get the latest water quality results, safety guidance, and community updates.