The River Holme is once again running red.
But fear not, this isn't some biblical prophecy – the water is flowing a pale shade of red as a result of iron oxide from an old mine works spilling into the river.
Passers-by near Armitage Bridge, off Bridge Street in Lockwood, noticed the water had turned an unsightly colour this morning.
It's not the first time the river has attracted attention. In 2006, the Environment Agency rushed to the water after reports of its unusual hue.
The incident affected the River Holme, New Mill Dyke, the River Colne and the River Calder.
The reddish tinge is believed to originate from mine water in the Jackson Bridge area and is a natural occurrence caused by iron oxide mixing with the stream.
Ochre, a natural earth pigment gives the water its rusty-red colour.
Environment bosses say it has no ecological impact on fish and other wildlife and the colour normally disperses naturally after a short period of time.
But the iron oxide problem is far from new.
Residents in Jackson Bridge have been plagued by flooding problems for many years.
Heavy rain on the hills above the valley seeps through the old mine workings which cross the area.
And dirty orange water often pours from the hillside entrances to the old mine shafts - causing flooding problems in the middle of the village.
Over the years, experts have tried many ways to solve the problem with pumps and pipelines – and even considered building a multi-million-pound water processing works to stop flooding keep the water running clear once and for all.
Peter Garside, owner of Land Rover Huddersfield next to the river, said: “The river doesn't run red as much any more – it's quite a long time ago since it's been like this.
“Apparently it's because of the old iron works and material getting into the stream, but it's not as harmful as it looks.
“I'd assume it's the same old problem, but it's years since I've seen it running red.”
