Palintest Donates Advanced Water Testing Kit To Empower Wounded Veterans

Supporting Project to Restore River Dart Through Science and Purpose

Gateshead-based Palintest, the global leader in water testing and analysis, has donated a Wagtech Potalab+ water testing system to Supporting Wounded Veterans (SWV), a UK charity helping former servicemen and women rebuild their lives through meaningful environmental work.

The donation marks the beginning of a pioneering initiative on the River Dart, in Devon, where veterans are combining AI satellite data with hands-on water testing to monitor and improve the health of one of Britain’s most ecologically important river systems. The long-term goal is to establish a comprehensive, accredited dataset that can be used by the Environment Agency and replicated across other rivers throughout the UK.

“We’re proud to support this extraordinary project, which unites technology, rehabilitation, and environmental protection,” said Melanie Randall, Global Sales Director at Palintest. “Our mission is to safeguard water for everyone, and we’re honoured that Palintest technology will help veterans develop new skills, rebuild confidence, and contribute to the future of our rivers.”

The collaboration reflects Palintest’s continued commitment to safeguarding water for everyone by ensuring that water testing is both accessible and reliable. The Wagtech Potalab+ kits provided to the veterans — containing Lumiso Expert Photometer, Turbidity Expert, and Kemio Disinfection instruments — are the same field-ready instruments used by governments, NGOs, and researchers worldwide to test water in remote or challenging environments.

The project, led by Supporting Wounded Veterans (SWV), offers a unique pathway for veterans living with PTSD and life-changing injuries to find rehabilitation and renewed purpose through environmental science. Participants are trained in water testing and data analysis, working directly on the riverbanks to collect and interpret samples that will inform vital environmental decisions.

The River Dart project gives veterans a renewed sense of purpose while helping to protect one of Britain’s most beautiful waterways,” said Gilly Norton, Founder and CEO of SWV. “Palintest’s generosity ensures that our teams can gather reliable, high-quality data — something that will have lasting impact across conservation, research, and mental health.”

The River Dart initiative is supported by a network of partners gathered and led by SWV, including the Duchy of Cornwall, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and the Environment Agency. Each organisation brings a different form of expertise, from scientific research and data validation to land stewardship and policy engagement.

In September, veterans visited Palintest’s headquarters in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, for an induction and training session led by the company’s technical specialists. The hands-on workshop covered sampling methods, data recording, and the use of the Lumiso Expert, Turbidity Expert, and Kemio Disinfection instruments to measure key indicators such as turbidity, pH, and chlorine — which are just some of the many parameters tested across Palintest’s instrument range.

The project is designed to run over nine months, with regular reviews to refine techniques and assess the environmental impact. The data collected will contribute to a wider understanding of water quality trends, supporting ongoing efforts to address pollution, biodiversity loss, and declining salmon populations across the River Dart catchment.

With the River Dart often described as a “canary in the coalmine” for UK river health, this partnership stands as a testament to what can be achieved when science, community, and compassion come together. Through this collaboration, Palintest and SWV are not only protecting the environment but also transforming lives — one test at a time.