Fears have been raised that river pollution incidents are being missed in west Norfolk after locals discovered monitoring equipment several feet out of the water.
An Environment Agency sensor in Bawsey, which is supposed to monitor the water quality of the Gaywood River, was spotted high and dry last week.
It has since been replaced with a new sensor and placed in the water after the organisation was contacted, prompting further concerns from environmental groups that it has not been working effectively for some time.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency confirmed it was detected out of the water for "two periods of time" last month but did not clarify how long for.
Mark Dye, spokesman for Gaywood River Revival, said: “The statement from the environment agency seems to suggest they knew the sonde was out of the water during May and not operating correctly.
"If so, why did they take more than a month to come and check the device – replacing it with a brand new one when they finally attended the Bawsey bridge site?
"How many times has it been out of the water since it was installed in December 2020?
"Worryingly this now clearly brings into question findings of any recent Environment Agency reports on pollution incidents, such as Anglian Water sewage spills upstream into the Gaywood River, which has suggested this rare chalk stream is in good health.
"It is not and quite rightly concerned locals are now asking each other, 'Does anyone care about the Gaywood River'?"
Known as a sonde, the probe monitors water chemistry over a longer period of time, taking multiple measurements at once, such as temperature, ammonium and pH levels, in order to provide a longer-term picture of the river's quality.
READ MORE: Norfolk's 'dying' rivers 'need extra council protection'
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "Sondes no longer being in contact with the water can happen more frequently when the weather gets warmer and there is less rainfall resulting in lower river levels.
"As water levels drop during the summer, the Environment Agency repositions sondes across East Anglia, including the Gaywood River, to ensure they continue to take accurate readings.
“Our data shows the sonde was out of the water in the Gaywood River in May for two separate periods of time, and we will take this into consideration as part of our long-term analysis of the data."
Gaywood South councillor Rob Colwell believes a lack of funding for environmental protection is adding to concerns in the area.
Read More: Gaywood River pollution fears after sewage spill
"Environment Agency funding has been cut drastically," he said. "This is part of the reason why locals are so concerned about incidents like this as it adds to fears that water quality is not being monitored properly."
The Gaywood River is one of Norfolk's rare chalk streams, a habitat that is under threat due to pollution, water abstraction, and low water levels.
The incident follows a lengthy period of drought since the previous summer's heatwave with 63pc of river levels below normal in February, according to Norfolk River Trust.
Pollution and lack of water is a frequent worry for locals in west Norfolk, prompted by a number of suspected sewage spills in recent months.
Mr Dye added: "Once again, it feels like this unique piece of living history is being left to slowly choke to death.
"It’s time local MPs got together with Natural England to fight for the future of this rare chalk stream.’
The Environment Agency has said that anyone with concerns about water quality, or who spots a sonde out of the water, should contact them on its free 24/7 incident hotline - 0800 807 060.
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