Residents of New Galloway have longstanding concerns about pollution in the town’s main freshwaters, particularly from sewage effluent and other inputs. This was identified as the top issue in a recent Community Council survey, which will inform the forthcoming Local Place Plan.

The awarded research project will establish a community baseline on pollution sources and water quality by:

• Mapping inputs: Collating information on public and private wastewater infrastructure in and around New Galloway to provide essential sub-catchment context.
• Citizen-science monitoring: Tracking aquatic invertebrates and analysing water chemistry upstream and downstream of effluent discharges into Water of Ken, while piloting a novel lakefly monitoring system.
• Supporting constructive dialogue: Convening positive, iterative conversations to share stories about the freshwater ecosystem, highlight best practices, and discuss emerging findings. The project will also identify and prioritise potential measures to improve water quality, where appropriate, and establish a steering group, with key stakeholders, to guide ongoing work.