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29
Sept 2024
Harrogate river pollution incidents remain a mystery
Over the last week the Stray Ferret has reported on two separate incidents of water pollution in the Harrogate area.
The first incident took place at Glasshouses Mill after a dam wall near Pateley Bridge collapsed on September 20.
The breach of the wall between Glasshouses Dam and the river was believed to have led to about one metre of water containing brown sediment and rubble into the water.
The second incident (September 22) saw orange effluent being discharged from a surface water outfall pipe into Oak Beck, to the rear of Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre off Ripon Road.
At the time of both incidents Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency said they were investigating the cause.
Glasshouses Dam: Copyright Martin Dawes / Geograph
The Stray Ferret contacted both the water company and the Environment Agency for updates on each incident following their investigations.
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said:
We investigated both incidents as we were informed of them over recent days - neither the surface water sewer where the pollution came from at Oak Beck, nor the Dam which has a partial collapse and is draining into the Nidd are owned by Yorkshire Water.
The water company added that as a result they are “no longer involved".
The Environment Agency gave separate updates but revealed that their incident response is also now closed for both incidents.
The Stray Ferret was told that at Glasshouses Mill dam “there was some discolouration but not at levels to damage the ecology or put fish in distress".
They added that at Oak Beck the discolouration was likely caused by ochre, a naturally orange clay earth pigment, or iron-rich water.
A spokesperson for the agency said:
As far as we are concerned there is no lasting environmental impact, but we are liaising with Yorkshire Water.
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