Town Responds to ‘Red Tide Rising’ in Harbor
Water sample taken from Town Harbor at floating docks near discharge pipe. (Wave photo)
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
September 1, 2013
Hours after a “Gossip” item entitled RED TIDE RISING appeared August 30 in the Wave, the Town of Cape Charles issued a special edition of the Gazette to address the issue of a red liquid being discharged into the Town Harbor.
On Friday afternoon, the Town Police Department delivered copies of the Gazette to local businesses for distribution to their customers.
The Gossip item noted that “now that floating docks have been installed next to the Coast Guard Station where the yacht repair facility is being built, people can walk along the bulkhead at the water line. There they can see an underwater pipe capped at the end. If they time their visit just right, somewhat like viewing “Old Faithful” at Yellowstone National Park, they will be treated to an eruption of red liquid spewing out into the harbor. Word has it that the pipe hooks to the new sewage treatment plant, and the discharge comes when plant filters are backwashed.”
The Gazette confirmed that the discharge is from backwash, “but we want to assure you that the discolored water is from the water plant not the wastewater treatment plant.” The Gazette further noted that the Town is working with the state Department of Environmental Quality “regarding corrective measures to alleviate the discharge of the discolored water.” [Read more…]
