Over the last few weeks, Reddit and Facebook posts appeared showing pictures of fluorescent green water in the Wissahickon Creek. Many commenters worried that the substance was antifreeze or something similarly toxic. It was not.
As rumors spread, the fire department dispatched a hazmat team to the Wissahickon Creek on May 10, collecting samples and running tests on the water.
The bright green color stemmed from a nontoxic fluorescent dye used by the Philadelphia Water Department to investigate the source of a leak.
In a posted statement, the water department said they …
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Over the last few weeks, Reddit and Facebook posts appeared showing pictures of fluorescent green water in the Wissahickon Creek. Many commenters worried that the substance was antifreeze or something similarly toxic. It was not.
As rumors spread, the fire department dispatched a hazmat team to the Wissahickon Creek on May 10, collecting samples and running tests on the water.
The bright green color stemmed from a nontoxic fluorescent dye used by the Philadelphia Water Department to investigate the source of a leak.
In a posted statement, the water department said they “responded to a reported street cave-in on the 200 block of Rex Avenue on Saturday, May 10. Fluorescein, a nontoxic fluorescent dye, was used to investigate the source of the leak. While some of the diluted dye eventually made its way to a small Wissahickon Creek tributary, the public should know that this dye is harmless. There are no impacts on wildlife or drinking water quality.”
The Friends of the Wissahickon further attempted to dispel the rumor, writing, “We've received many reports of green water near Rex Avenue in the Rex Avenue Tributary and the Wissahickon Creek. Philadelphia Water Department has confirmed they were testing near Rex Avenue for cross-connections with stormwater drains.”
They added that the water department will continue doing testing in the area, and residents “might see more of this nontoxic dye in the creek and stormwater retention basins around the park.”
Tommy Tucker can be reached at tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.
