New public and wildlife safety concerns are being raised over Whitehaven Harbour’s orange water.
People are being warned to avoid paddling, ingesting the water and eating mussels found on the hulls of boats in the harbour.
The Clean Rivers Trust – part of a task force aiming to fix the harbour water – said it was due to iron hydroxides coating the harbour floor. While not poisonous to humans, it should be avoided.
The charity has also found the water to be harmful to crustaceans living in the sediments and said it would become a problem for the fish in the harbour over time, as it would remove their food source.
While experts have said the contaminated water won’t harm the wider water quality or flora or fauna in the area around the harbour, regulators are monitoring the situation.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners has released updated answers to frequently asked questions about the harbour water.
How harmful is the water to humans, wildlife or the ocean?
While the bright orange appearance of the water is alarming – it is not thought to be toxic.
But the Clean Rivers Trust has said the contaminated water is harmful to the crustaceans that live in the sediments and that over time this will be a problem for the fish in the harbour as it removes their food source.
They have also warned that the iron hydroxides coating the harbour floor – although not poisonous to humans – should not be paddled in or ingested.
Mussels found on the hulls of the boats in the harbour should not be eaten.
Regulators are still monitoring the situation. Experts say the contaminated water won’t harm the wider water quality or the flora and fauna.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said: “The usual wildlife still visits. There are fish in the water. Those that feed on them seem to be coping with the conditions.
“Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners are not experts in this area. We are guided by information and advice from government agencies and experts.
“We worry about the long-term effects on the environment, the community, and the town’s prosperity. So, we continue to push for the urgent implementation of a permanent solution.”
Testing conducted by the Environment Agency in December 2022 found increased levels of metals in the water, but this was found to not be harmful due to its dilution in the harbour and estuary.
What is being done to fix the problem?
A task force aiming to address the harbour’s water colour was officially set up in March this year and includes representatives from key organisations and affected community groups.
It also includes the agencies involved in testing and investigating the contaminated water.
Former MP Trudy Harrison brought the group together, but it is now led by Whitehaven & Workington’s new MP Josh MacAlister.
Investigations are looking into finding a way to clean or filter the water running out of the tunnel. Research has now identified some potential treatment options.
But researchers will need to conduct further studies to understand if they will work and any potential treatment could need government approval and possibly licences. This includes where any waste is taken after treatment.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said to make this happen, more data will need to be gathered and the evidence looked at by experts, which will take more time.
The culvert carries a natural watercourse from Bransty Beck. Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said it cannot be blocked, as this would cause flooding elsewhere.
The organisation added that diversion of the water would need a lot of engineering and treatment. It would also be expensive and need regulatory approval and/or licences and would take a long time to set up.
The task force includes: Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Whitehaven Marina Limited, Cumberland Council, Whitehaven Town Council, MP Josh MacAlister, Network Rail, The Coal Authority, The Environment Agency, Clean Rivers Trust, Co-Lab Engineering, Forth Engineering and Sellafield Ltd.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners has been spearheading the investigation into the cause of the colour change since November 2022.
While the organisation does own the land, the pollution is contaminating the harbour from a source – likely one out of hundreds of historic mines in the area – that they do not and cannot control or find.
When will the water return to normal?
The task force said it was doing everything it could – but any solution will be complex and take time to develop.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said: “We know this is a challenging situation. We realise it will take time to find the right answer. Getting funding and permissions will also take time, and we can’t change or control that.
“But guided by experts with the necessary experience, we are confident it’s possible to solve this. We will be pushing to see a working solution in place by next year.”
Why is the water still turning orange?
Whitehaven Harbour’s water first turned orange in November 2022 and has since continued to intermittently change colour after periods of heavy rain.
The orange water was found entering the harbour through a culvert in Queen’s Dock which which has now been confirmed to connect to the Bransty rail tunnel drainage system.
Despite investigations, the cause of the colour change remained unknown for around a year.
Tests have now finally found floodwater from the rail tunnel contaminated with iron ochre – a byproduct of historic mine workings – as the cause of the harbour turning orange during periods of heavy rain.
Despite this, pinpointing the source of the contaminated water still remains a problem and investigations so far have proven inconclusive.
Involved parties are now looking to clean or filter the water coming out of the culvert instead, but researchers will have to conduct extra studies to find out if any proposed solutions will work.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said: “The geology of West Cumbria is complex. Any water running through it (in a tunnel, drain or similar) may pick up metals and colour. This means we may never fully understand why this is happening now.
“We know the contaminated water is coming from Bransty railway tunnel.
“One possible explanation is that water has been getting in there for a long time. Experts believe that the stones used in the railway, called ballast, might have helped filter the contaminated water. But after a while, the ballast got blocked and worn, making it less effective.
“Network Rail has been exploring ways to help fix this by replacing the ballast. Regulators have warned against this. Moving the ballast could disturb even more contaminated water and make things worse.”
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said it has also received dozens of messages, emails, and calls from people alerting them to areas with similar orange water, hoping they could be the source.
But after the relevant authorities tested these sources, they were ruled out due to different water composition.
Network Rail, the Environment Agency, and the Coal Authority have investigated how and where water is entering the Bransty railway tunnel. So far, these investigations have been inconclusive.
Why can’t Network Rail stop the water coming into Bransty tunnel?
Network Rail is only funded to deal with the impact of the contaminated water on the railway.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said Network Rail was focused on delivering a safe and reliable railway for Whitehaven, and not making the situation worse when work was carried out.
Network Rail is focused on making sure the railway can continue to run, and is planning a full renewal of the track and drainage system in 2025 and 2026.
