Starting today (20th July 2026), the Otter Valley Association is launching a new community water testing web app to give local swimmers, paddleboarders and other beach users a clearer, more up-to-date view of bathing water quality at Budleigh’s beaches - at the start of every weekend.
Why are we doing this?
We know many people are increasingly concerned about sewage spills, pollution alerts and the lack of timely information about water quality. The Environment Agency’s official bathing water tests are important, but they designed to provide an end of season rating, not to give beach users practical, actionable information.
Our tests will sample the water where residents and visitors actually swim - and the results will be online from about 30 minutes after the sample is collected.
Our aim is to help people make a more informed personal decision before entering the water. Most of the time, the sea at Budleigh should be enjoyable and reasonably safe for recreation — but when conditions are poor, people need clear and timely information so they can choose whether to swim, paddle or wait.
What are we doing?
Our wonderful team of OVA volunteers, led by Richard Foulkes and Keith Flack, will test the water at the two main Budleigh bathing locations: Lime Kiln (by the lifeguard hut) and Steamer Steps. We plan to test weekly, normally on Friday evening, from May through to the start of October, and publish the results as quickly as possible — usually within around 30 minutes of sampling, and by 11.00am on Saturday at the latest.
The results will be available through the new Budleigh beach water quality app: https://budleighbeach.ova.org.uk
We will also share the link through OVA web site and Facebook pages and hope to make it easy to find through local websites and community outlets, including QR code cards at local venues and events. Please let us know if you’d like to include the link on your web site.
Benefits for local residents and water users
- A more up-to-date view of water quality at the start of the weekend. Note: the information on the app reflects the day and time that the sample was taken, so actual levels can vary after that time – especially if there is much rain or an Environment Agency pollution warning has been made.
- Testing at the places people actually use: Lime Kiln and Steamer Steps.
- A simple traffic light result to make the information easier to understand.
- A way to compare conditions between the two main bathing locations.
- More confidence for swimmers and beach users when conditions are good – but always read the ‘Important Information’ section at the foot of the app page.
- Clearer warnings when conditions suggest greater bacterial contamination risk.
- Local data that can support wider conversations about water quality and pollution.
Why Bactiquick?
We will be using the Bactiquick digital sensor because it provides a rapid, practical snapshot of bacterial contamination risk. Traditional lab-based bathing water tests take several days to get a result, whereas Bactiquick is designed to provide results in around 15 minutes. Bactiquick measures the concentration of Endotoxins, enabling it to detect a much broader spectrum of bacteria than those tested by the Environment Agency. These include E.coli, Enterococci, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas, Vibrio and Leptospira – all of which can pose health risks.
Our results are reported as a simple traffic light system based on the Environment Agency's bathing water quality classifications: Green = 'Excellent' and 'Good'; Orange = 'Sufficient'; Red = 'Poor'. We also report a number – the lower the number the lower the risk. The app includes a history chart showing the last 10 samples at that location, with the status of each sample.
Important information
These results show the condition of the water at the time the sample was collected. They are not live measurements, and water quality can change quickly due to rainfall, tides, river flows, storm overflows and weather conditions. The water may therefore be cleaner — or more polluted — by the time you read the result, particularly if there has been significant rainfall after testing.
Results will be shown using a simple traffic light system based on Environment Agency bathing water quality classifications: Green = Excellent or Good, Orange = Sufficient, and Red = Poor.
Before entering the water, please also check the Environment Agency pollution risk forecast for Budleigh Salterton (also shown on the app) and the Surfers Against Sewage Safer Seas & Rivers Service app (SSRS) for the latest pollution alerts.
This project is intended to provide an additional source of local information to support personal decision-making.
Anyone entering the water does so at their own risk and should consider all available information before doing so.
Please take a look, share it with anyone who uses Budleigh beach, and let us know what you think. Feedback will help us improve how the results are presented and make the app as useful as possible for the local community.