Water monitors aid the return of otters to stream

Otters and other wildlife have returned to a Houghton-le-Spring stream thanks to the installation of monitoring equipment by Northumbrian Water which allows them to keep a check on water quality and respond quickly to any concerns.

- by Neil Fatkin

The monitors, which are around the size of small suitcase and are solar-powered, measure a series of key elements in the watercourse every 15 minutes, and sensors can flag any changes to conditions, allowing for action to be taken.

So far, 31 monitors have been installed in areas including Houghton-le-Spring and Rainton, and over the next four years 390 more will be deployed in locations all the way from north Northumberland to North Yorkshire.

One of the monitors was fitted on a stream in Houghton-le-Spring which backs onto the garden of local resident Dave Ford.