Volunteers needed to help survey and classify some of Maidenhead’s waterways to identify and tackle sources of pollution. This would include a free training day and further riverbank surveys of a small stretch of river this spring.

Outfall Safaris are a powerful form of citizen science, allowing sources of pollution to be identified, recorded and reported to Thames Water and the Environment Agency so they can be addressed, improving local water quality and habitats. Many previously unknown and unrecorded polluting outfalls have been documented in this way, helping to close the knowledge gap about what is happening in our rivers.

Once registered you will receive information about how to join the training session. All surveys can be carried out anytime during April-May when the weather is dry.

Surveys can only be conducted following at least 48 hours of dry weather therefore flexibility is required.

The training will include:

• An overview of water quality issues in the catchment
• Information on outfalls and how they become polluted
• Instruction on how to assess each outfall using the project app and then upload information to the database
• A health & safety briefing

All help is greatly appreciated.