Normally, race organisers test the water to see if it is safe for swimming. However, there are limitations to that type of sampling.
Samples are usually collected at just one or two locations shortly before the race, which means it does not provide detailed data.
These sampling devices follow the swimmers’ exact route while they are in the water, thereby providing accurate information.
“For us as an organisation, knowing what’s in our water is really important because we’re putting athletes in the water,” said Amy Jenner, Triathlon Cymru’s head of development.
“Across Wales, we have roughly around 60 events a year, so we want to know what’s in our water.
“So having the fund available to us to do all of the research and the testing allows us to then go back to the athletes, back to the event organisers, to National Resource Wales, Public Health Wales and say what the picture is with our waters in Wales.”
Simon Webb, who organises the Barry SWYD Sprint Triathlon, said it was important that athletes could swim “without the risk of potentially getting ill”.
