Durham County’s Triangle Wastewater Treatment Plant is conducting a water quality study of Northeast Creek in Durham and Chatham Counties. As part of this study, Brown and Caldwell staff will be in the field Monday-Thursday, October 20-23, and on one of these days will conduct a dye tracer test. This test will involve introducing a non-toxic fluorescent dye into Northeast Creek at the treatment plant on Apex Drive (NC 55) just south of Sedwick Road and taking measurements of the dye concentration at various points downstream. The red or pink fluorescent dye might be temporarily visible in the stream in the area shown on the map below. The purpose of the dye tracer test is to measure the velocity and time-of-travel of the water in the stream. This information will be used to calibrate a hydraulic and water quality model.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has approved the monitoring and modeling plan that describes the dye study. The monitoring and modeling plan also states that the County will notify the appropriate officials and local emergency contacts before injecting the dye, to prevent unnecessary emergency actions if a spill complaint is received.

If you have any questions on this test, you can contact Doug Durbin of Brown and Caldwell at 813-625-5033.

Stream Section Where the Dye Might Be Visible