LOCAL NEWS
DOH dyes water red around Whidbey Island as a part of a shellfish study
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that the water around Whidbey Island will be dyed red as they work from Friday, Sept. 9 until Wednesday, Sept. 14 as a part of a wastewater study.
The non-toxic, fluorescent dye, rhodamine, is going to be added to the treated wastewater at the Oak Harbor Clean Water Facility (CWF) as officials track the dyed water’s movements and impacts on nearby shellfish spawning grounds, specifically the Saratoga Passage and Penn Cove growing areas.
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They say that the red-dyed water will be seen around Oak Harbor for roughly 24 hours.
While the study was originally planned for 2019 after the completion of the Oak Harbor CWF, the project had to be delayed due to technical issues and then was delayed again with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study is a partnership between DOH, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Ecology, the City of Oak Harbor, Island County, and local shellfish growers.
