UK’s First Water Company Detection Dogs Saving Wildlife and Stopping Pollution

Wessex Water has become the first water company in the UK to use an in house team of detection dogs and the results are already protecting wildlife and reducing pollution.

Senior handler Nikki Glover began working with detection dogs in 2016 and introduced great crested newt detection at Wessex Water in 2018. “We started back in 2018 with three great crested newt detection dogs, OB, Nuki and Freya” she said.

Today, the team has grown to five, Freya, Nuki, Obi, and cocker spaniel brothers Bluey and Bandit, who specialise in wastewater detection. “They’re completely different personalities. The company named them as puppies. We’re currently leasing them from a company called Cape” Nikki explained.

The dogs are trained to use their powerful noses to locate both protected species and environmental risks. “It’s all about making that association. When the dog smells a newt container, we click and reward with a tennis ball. Same with wastewater,” said Nikki. Bluey and Bandit play a key role in protecting rivers and streams. They detect misconnected household appliances that wrongly send wastewater into surface water systems. “Bluey does a lovely sit indication and Bandit will do a nice lie down indication. That signals there’s contamination” Nikki explained.

The dogs have already proved cost effective. “With the great crested newts, we’ve saved just under £30,000 in the last few months. Dogs clear areas in a day or two versus 30 days for traditional methods” Nikki said. Their wastewater work also helps protect fish and other aquatic life by preventing pollutants from entering rivers.

Nikki is pursuing a PhD at the University of Salford to better understand how odours behave in different conditions. “It’s given me insight into how odour interacts with the environment, which helps my handling skills,” she said. Welfare is also a top priority. “We have a detection dog directive reviewed by the RSPCA. Nutrition, exercise, and rest are all covered. They have individual spaces when not working. We don’t want them to ever know they’re working. They think it’s a fun game. Their ultimate reward is playing with a tennis ball.”

Looking ahead, Nikki hopes to see the team expand further. “Hopefully more handlers can take the pressure off. As long as the dogs are happy and healthy, the project will go from strength to strength” she said.