Wee river/stream runs along side my gaff and I've just looked out the window to see it's blue? Any ideas on what could be causing this.

by xMightyTinfoilx

23 comments

  1. Algal bloom or chemical spill.

    Doe the river flow out of a standing body of water?

  2. There’s a phenomenon called sunlight that can change how we perceive water. This might be an example of that, but it’s incredibly rare here.

  3. Please report that to the environment agency, everything in that river is likely either dead or dying. They may be able to come out to find where it’s coming from and get it stopped.

    [https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/report-polluted-land-and-water](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/report-polluted-land-and-water)

    Does make the river look like it’s in the rocky mountains , or Switzerland.

  4. I can’t remember where I was reading it (if it was even NI) but there was a story of a water company telling people not to be alarmed as they were having to put dye in a river to trace something or other. They said it was completely harmless and i only remember the story because of the doubt i had about that assertion.

  6. Looks like dye tracing to me. Its a dye added to drains to find connections, pathways etc.

    It could be something else, so worth flagging to NIEA.

    Whats upstream?

  7. Not an expert, but the blue colour makes me think that there’s something copper-based if it’s a pollutant, like a sulphate. I hope not 🙏

  9. It’s just all the pished out blue wkd after the weekend. Pretty easy gaf to guess where you are tbh

  10. Whatever it is, it’s definitely NOT farmers. It’s probably climate change or Invasive Oysters. In fact there is probably a simple nature based solution. Only joking it’s definitely some shit running off from somebody’s farm, or from an industry, and almost certainly nobody will be held responsible.

  11. Pollution hotline for NIEA. They will send out someone to collect samples and test it. 0800 807060

  12. Grab a sample. Get scientific and try a flame test ? Also will see if it’s really blue or just sun as someone said, although give it 10 mins and we can rule out sun 😆

  14. It’s surprising uniform in colour makes me think it’s happens a long way before it’s got to you.

  20. “What is this? Why are you blue??”

    In all seriousness this is likely an algae bloom or some kind of other chemical spill so should be reported to the environment agency

  21. King George the third is pissing in it from beyond the grave.

  22. Might be rock flour from your quarry reflecting the sun.

  23. Please please update when you find out ! Also maybe get a glass jam jar full of it and let it settle see if it changes. Might want to hold onto that sample in case it’s needed

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