THE Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners have provided more details on the possible treatments they may use on the discoloured harbour water. 

Since 2022 the water in parts of the Queens Dock area of the harbour has turned an unpleasant orange/brown colour. 

The Harbour Commissioners have been working alongside other organisations and the local government to find a solution to the issue. 

The contaminated water gets into the harbour through a culvert, which is a pipe or tunnel allowing water to flow under roads and railways. 

The culvert is releasing water from Bransty Railway tunnel, which takes trains underground between Corkickle and Whitehaven. 

However, the tunnel has flooded in recent years and tests show that there is iron ochre in the water, picked up as the water flows through areas where there is coal. 

In a recent update, a spokesperson from the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners said: "Members of the ‘harbour water task force’ have been speaking to manufacturers of potential treatment options.

"These solutions range from equipment to remove suspended solids using chemicals to those that specialise in aeration technology.

"They are carrying out further research to determine which option could work best on the type of contamination we have.

"Each specialist organisation that members of the task force members are talking to, needs complex data and tests to be carried out.

"They must also find out what if any, approvals and licences are needed for each of the proposed solutions.

"Although any of the suggested treatments should help, they may not completely fix the problem.

"But they will be quicker to implement than waiting for someone with the power and resources to trace the original source."

READ MORE: What is known about the colour change in Whitehaven harbour

Josh MacAlister MP, has had initial talks in Westminster about funding options, he added: "Since the election I've taken over the role of chairing the task force to address the orange water problem, which has now been going on for two years.

"Progress has been far too slow and I've been holding partners to account to try to crack this issue.

"Network Rail will shortly carry out some track improvement work in the Bransty tunnel which may help, but we're still working on a long-term solution and how to resource it."