Aim

Fund 365 days of water testing in Chichester and Langstone Harbour, providing real-time data to protect public health and local communities.

Who are we, and what is our project about?

Final Straw Foundation is a community-led environmental charity working across the Solent to protect and restore our seas. We bring together local people, volunteers and young people to take direct action on plastic pollution, water quality and marine habitat restoration.

Our team combines hands-on delivery with innovative approaches, from beach cleans and education programmes to oyster restoration and daily water quality monitoring. What drives us is simple: people should be able to enjoy the sea safely, and our coastal environments should be protected for future generations.

We are increasingly responding to the effects of climate change on our coastline, particularly the impact on water quality and safe access to the sea.
As climate change drives heavier rainfall, sewage overflows are increasing—making real-time water quality information more important than ever.

This project sits firmly within Climate Action by helping communities adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change on coastal water quality.

Rising sea temperatures, heavier rainfall and more frequent storm events are increasing pollution levels in coastal waters, particularly through sewage overflows and surface runoff. These changes are already affecting when and how safely people can access the sea.

Our 365-day water quality testing (SQIRT - Seawater Quality In Real Time) provides real-time information to help communities respond to these changing conditions, enabling people to make informed decisions about when it is safe to enter the water. By building a continuous, localised dataset, we also identify pollution patterns linked to climate pressures, supporting long-term awareness, behaviour change and accountability.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are raising funds to deliver 365 days of water quality testing at key sites in Chichester and Langstone Harbour.

Currently, there is very limited real-time information available to the public about water safety. Yet the water is used year-round by swimmers, sailors, families, paddleboarders and the wider community.

This funding will allow us to provide rapid, accessible testing every single day, helping people make informed decisions about entering the water while also building a clear picture of pollution patterns over time.

By making water quality visible, we increase awareness, support public health and drive accountability for long-term environmental improvement.

As climate change continues to impact coastal environments, access to safe, reliable water quality information becomes increasingly important. This project enables communities to prepare for and adapt to these changes, reducing health risks while building a clearer understanding of how environmental pressures are affecting our seas over time.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Funding will support ten full monitoring site, including:

£9,000 – specialist testing equipment per site (Bactiquick system)
£4,000 – annual staffing, delivery costs, results gathering and app development
Ongoing consumables, data reporting and volunteer support

This technology provides results in just 15 minutes, allowing near real-time updates for the community.

Full funding will support 10 sites. 

How you can help

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Make a donation - every contribution brings us closer to daily testing in Southsea

2. Spread the word - share this project with your network

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.

3. Volunteer with us and be a part of the solution

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch through the ‘Contact’ section using the subject "I want to volunteer my time or expertise" on our project page.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th September 2026 at 5:00pm