Sept. 26 (UPI) — A portion of Australia’s Sydney Harbor was temporary turned bright green when a common dye used by plumbers flowed out through a storm drain.
Fire and Rescue New South Wales said investigators responded to the bay in Kirribilli, a suburb of Sydney, after the water turned color Wednesday.
“Our team quickly investigated and confirmed the spill was non-toxic,” Fire and Rescue NSW said on social media.
A video from the scene shows the water resembling the Chicago River when it is dyed green during for the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Officials said Thursday that the coloring in the Sydney Harbor had a less festive origin — it’s believed to be a dye called fluorescein, which is commonly used by plumbers to find leaks.
“We can’t say for sure, but that’s what we think it is,” Superintendent Adam Dewberry told 9News. “It’s a common product that does get used to dye water and it’s very effective.”
Dewberry said the green water did not appear to have any adverse affect on fish and other local wildlife.
Witnesses reported seeing green liquid in a storm drain at Anderson Park the day before the harbor took on the hue, but firefighters said the origin of the chemical still is under investigation.
