THE boss of Whitehaven Harbour says the town ‘can’t afford to wait any longer’ to tackle the contaminated water and temporary measures are likely be put in place.

Discoloured water began entering the harbour from a culvert in Queens Dock at the end of 2022 and investigations into the cause have been ongoing.

Tests have been carried out by rail engineers to determine how orange water has been entering an underground railway tunnel between Corkickle and Whitehaven, which is connected to Whitehaven Harbour by a culvert.

The discoloured water has been shown to contain iron ochre, which is generally associated with mines and it is accepted that this is likely the cause. But it is not known which mine the water is coming from as there were so many in the area and there could have been a breach almost anywhere.

Deanne Shallcross, CEO of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, said: “Our harbour, its users, the local community and the town as a whole can't afford to wait any longer. A temporary treatment solution is therefore the most likely step now, such as some kind of filter being installed in the harbour or within the tunnel network, or possibly diversion of the water away from the culvert.

“We'd all prefer the root cause to be treated rather than the effect, but it could be a long time before this is likely. In addition, Network Rail want to carry out work within the tunnel to help tackle some of the water problem but they need permissions to do this. They're currently liaising with the Environment Agency and expect it to be several months before they're in a position to start work.”

Mrs Shallcross said she was hopeful that the area’s new MP, Josh MacAlister, would help Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners secure emergency funding and licensing agreements to get something in place ‘as a matter of urgency’.

She said: “We're exploring several off-the-shelf products that have been used successfully on Coal Authority land and other sites over the years.

"Some of the manufacturers are currently working on specific proposals for Whitehaven as a result of our talks and we hope to have updates on these soon, but a big challenge will still be how to fund them and what licences they'd require.

“The cost of treatment will depend on which product - or perhaps a combination of products - is determined will be the most efficient and effective for the harbour once the necessary data has been collated and trials concluded.

"One example though has the potential to cost around £5k per week to run, and might need to be in place for several years.

“With no root cause identified it's virtually impossible to hold anyone accountable. This may be determined in time and allow all victims - ourselves included - to build a case for compensation, but our harbour doesn't have any more time so we have to work with all the main agencies to find ways of securing funding, together, now.

“This unacceptable, ongoing problem has caused significant material, financial and reputational damage to individuals, organisations, businesses and our town as a whole. We need the right people with the right powers to help us take the next steps as a matter of urgency.”