Severn Trent is inviting Shrewsbury residents to see how high-tech DRONES are helping further protect and improve the River Severn. 

The company is holding a community event and River Walk in the town on Thursday July 30 to showcase Surfbee, which helps monitor the health of waterways through programmable ‘missions’. 

Severn Trent is believed to be among the first water companies in the UK to use the Surfbee, which is fitted with onboard cameras, sampling equipment and temperature monitors.  

River Rangers will also be on hand to talk about the positive impact of all the work being carried out to protect The Severn, including dramatically cutting spills and working with community groups. 

The River Walk is part of a series of events taking place in Shrewsbury which is benefiting from a £250m Severn Trent investment programme across Shropshire, including upgrading the sewer network to help future proof river health and protect communities. 

A community drop-in session is being held at The Hive from 12 to 5pm on July 30, with the guided River Walk taking place from midday onwards.

Families are also being invited to a tour of Monkmoor wastewater treatment works on August 5 for an exclusive look at the wastewater treatment site, which has received a £6m upgrade to help deal with the growing local population.  A second River Walk is also planned for August 27 and a series of further community drop-ins are also planned.  

Sam Wilson, Environmental Communications Lead for Severn Trent, said: “We are hugely excited to show the people of Shrewsbury how we are making a positive impact on the health of the Severn. It’s going to be a fascinating and enjoyable event for people, who can see innovation like the Surfbee and hear about the brilliant work of our River Rangers. We will also explain how the work we’re doing to reduce spills and how we are working with other sectors, including agriculture and industry, to help protect and improve our rivers - ensuring they remain a source of pride and joy for everyone."

Surfbee can be deployed quickly and autonomously on specific ‘missions’ to navigate rivers to help teams gather high-quality sampling data, including phosphate and nitrate levels. This can all be completed in a fraction of the time required by traditional monitoring methods. 

The battery-powered river drone was invented in Australia and allows Severn Trent teams to target specific and hard-to-reach locations and respond quickly to emerging issues, helping build a clearer and more accurate picture of river health. 

The Surfbee is fitted with an onboard camera and can be programmed to carry out a sampling mission along a stretch of the river and then ‘return to base’ to its handler, who can also operate the drone by remote control. 

Gareth Mead, Severn Trent River Rangers Manager, said: “We’re one of the first companies in the UK to use Surfbee which is a fantastic addition. 

“The drone will allow us to work quicker and more efficiently and help us get into the hard to reach areas along the river, places that might be too dangerous for our teams to access.

“We’re really looking forward to meeting customers in Shrewsbury for the River Walk so they see how our teams and our investment – including in technology like Surfbee – are making a real positive difference to our rivers and waterways.” 

Severn Trent is investing £250m to reduce spills by carrying out improvements and upgrades, including increasing sewage works capacity and reducing phosphates from the waste treatment process.  

The company say the work is already having a positive impact on the River Severn and has already cut spills from storm overflows by almost 40% since 2024.

In June Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley ­and Belle Vue councillor Kate Halliday welcomed Severn Trent’s river health plans during a visit to Coleham Pumping Station.  Potential solutions to river flooding and closer collaboration with the local authority and Environment Agency were discussed. 

The meeting followed a Belle Vue Community Meeting which brought together the Environment Agency, Shropshire Council, and Severn Trent focusing on future plans to improve river health, prevent flooding and plan for population growth.