Whitehaven Harbour’s Orange Water Problem Persists for Two Years

The presence of orange water in a harbour, now spanning two years, continues to cause significant frustration due to the absence of a resolution. Investigations have confirmed that iron ochre is entering Whitehaven’s Queens Dock in Cumbria via a culvert. Despite numerous multi-agency discussions aimed at identifying a solution, no measures have yet been implemented. Josh MacAlister, the Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington, described it as “mind-bogglingly frustrating” that a taskforce remains in deliberation over the matter, asserting that the situation is harming the town’s standing. Deanne Shallcross of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners characterized the “horrendous” state of affairs as “100% a visitor deterrent.” She stated, “We know it’s reputational damage, we’ve got visitors coming to the town who know us as the town with orange water or brown murky water.” She further expressed that the failure to identify a solution was “really disappointing and a real frustration.” The culvert discharges water gathered from Bransty Beck and a drainage network within the Bransty railway tunnel, an area that has experienced increased flooding in recent years. Historically, for decades, water from the railway tunnel, which facilitates underground train travel between Corkickle and Whitehaven, drained into the harbour without incident. However, MP MacAlister indicated that the issue “seems to be the gravel under the railway track.” He suggested that previously, this gravel had functioned as “a natural filter” to trap iron ochre, but it is now “saturated.” The Member of Parliament has urged Network Rail to implement interim measures to conduct additional inspections and undertake corrective actions, beginning with the removal and replacement of the gravel. Last year, Network Rail initiated investigations to determine whether water from disused mine workings was infiltrating Bransty Tunnel and subsequently flowing into the harbour culvert. A Network Rail spokesperson stated that the company is collaborating with the Environment Agency and other taskforce collaborators “to focus on monitoring the water quality and flow rates” in an effort to identify potential origins. The spokesperson also affirmed that Network Rail would “ensure that we keep the railway running through Bransty Tunnel and improve the drainage, which is currently blocked with iron ochre.” Steven Rogers, a user of the harbour, expressed that the water’s discoloration has made it unpleasant to spend time on his boat in the marina, incurring hundreds of pounds in cleaning expenses. Mr. Rogers recounted, “I had to have my boat cleaned in the summer before a trip to France and that’s expensive, to have it lifted out of the water and washed cost me £500 to £600.” He voiced apprehension that the taskforce “know what needs to be done” but that the primary “stumbling block was funding.”