Red Dye Sea Testing

Note: Not an actual photo of  the dye

Residents and holidaymakers are being urged not to be concerned if they spot large plumes of red water in the sea off the coast of Skipsea and Withernsea from Monday 11th to Sunday 17th October 2010.

Yorkshire Water is conducting environmentally friendly dye-tests in a bid to build a greater understanding of how its sewer outfalls at both locations can impact on the quality of local bathing waters.

The company, which is planning to invest £110 million over the next five years to meet new environmental standards, is monitoring how long it takes for discharges to reach the sea and the effect of underwater currents and tides.

Bathing Water Strategy Manager Lee Pitcher said the dye will have no impact on fish, birds, or other wildlife.

“The dye itself is completely inert and is not harmful in any way to plants and wildlife. Over the course of the seven days, we'll be releasing different volumes from our outfalls and then tracking where it goes. This testing is hugely beneficial as it should give us a clearer picture of how our outfalls operate and the impact they have, helping to inform our planning around future investment. This activity has to be undertaken during the bathing season to ensure that it takes into account weather and environmental conditions that are typical of the season to ensure that we fully understand the impact of our sewer outfalls." 

Dye-testing was undertaken in Scarborough and Bridlington back in 2008, with similar work recently completed at Filey, Staithes, Runswick Bay, Sandsend, Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay.

Source: Yorkshire Water press release