Dye tracer study could affect colour of Conestogo River
The Township of Mapleton was set to carry out a dye tracer study at the Mapleton Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) earlier this week.
The dye tracer study was requested by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to understand the hydrologic characteristics of the Conestogo River in the vicinity of its mixing with the effluent from the Mapleton WPCP. Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. (HESL) was set to conduct the Rhodamine WT dye study on Nov. 7 from 9am to 5pm, with rain dates of Nov. 8 and 9.
Rhodamine WT dye is the preferred dye tracer for use in hydrologic studies. At the concentrations to be used in this study, it is non-toxic to humans and aquatic life, states a Nov. 4 press release from the township and HESL.
The release states the dye tracer will cause the water in the Conestogo River to have a pink coloration at the site of injection (the Mapleton WPCP) through to upstream of Concession 8.
This effect was expected to be diluted with distance from the WPCP and visible beyond the Concession 8 bridge.
Anyone with questions or concerns is invited to contact:
- Mapleton public works director Jamie Morgan at 519-638-3313 ext. 41 or JMorgan@mapleton.ca; or
- Tara Roumeliotis, Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. engineer at 519-576-1711 ext.301 or tara@environmentalsciences.ca.
