An east Suffolk climate action centre will be holding a workshop to widen the water sampling skillset of its volunteers and increase overall levels of competency.

Volunteers from the Deben Climate Centre, which is based in the Woodbridge area, have been conducting sampling of water quality in the River Deben during the last two years.

In February, this newspaper revealed that volunteers from the centre had found levels of the harmful E.coli bacteria in the river that were between five and 500 times the recommended levels.

READ MORE: The Deben Climate Centre conducted a study of Suffolk river

The centre's team had been focusing on microbial levels associated with discharges from sewage treatment works and livestock farms, as well as testing for chemical pollutants such as phosphates and nitrates.

The workshop will be taking place on Friday, September 20 at St Mary's Parish Hall in Ufford and is being held because the centre's collaboration with the Environment Agency and the University of Suffolk had called for a wider scope of water quality assessment.

New tests are being introduced to measure acidity, temperature, conductivity and turbidity.

READ MORE: River Deben group gets backing from East Suffolk Council

Speakers at the workshop will include Dr Nick Tucker, a biomedical science lecturer based at the University of Suffolk on Ipswich Waterfront.

A spokesperson for the centre said: "The workshop will also provide participants with an update of the test results and trends since our February 2024 report and the latest research findings from Nick Tucker’s group at the University of Suffolk."

The workshop will run from 9.30am to 3.30pm and will also feature speakers from the Environment Agency about developing a credible Citizen Science programme, as well as information about the new tests and testing methodologies.