What to Know
- The Oyster Bay Village Wastewater Treatment Plant within Oyster Bay Harbor is undergoing a hydrographic dye study.
- The red water-tracing dye is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- The treatment began on Wednesday and continued for over 12 hours.
Part of Long Island's north shore turned bright red on Wednesday in reaction to a study testing wastewater, and while the images may look off-putting, scientists say there is nothing to fear.
Researchers are examining the movement of treated wastewater from the Oyster Bay Village Wastewater Treatment Plant located within Oyster Bay Harbor, N.Y.
The water-tracing dye gives a red or pink discoloration and is technically called Rhodamine WT, which has been approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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Low concentrations of the colorant were introduced to the inlet Wednesday morning and are visible for about 12 hours.
The purpose of the study is to better understand where the wastewater travels and if its path is impacting the surrounding shellfish closures. Knowing the water flow can also enhance emergency readiness and the ability to respond to potential spills.
"There is the potential that with the upgrades that happened at the plant and the increase in flow at the plant, that we may have to expand the closures," Kevin Ryan, a marine biologist for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, told NBC New York.
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This is the first time in nearly 50 years that this experiment is taking place in the area due to concerns that the water parameters may have changed.
"Any data is good data for an organization like Friends of the Bay and others. The more information we have, the better we can help to mitigate any issues that may arise," said Heather Johnson, executive director of Friends of the Bay, an environmental protection organization in Oyster Bay.
