Dyeing to know why river blue?
MYSTERY WHY WATERWAY SO COLOURFUL NOW SOLVED
RESIDENTS were left scratching their heads after passing a river to find it had been turned bright blue.
Parts of the River Sence, which runs through Charnwood Forest and Coalville to Hinckley, were found by locals to have suddenly turned an unnatural shade of blue.
Steph Bickerton, of Coalville, was sent photos of the neon-coloured waterway by her 11-year-old daughter, Lucie, on Monday, and initially believed the girl was pulling her leg.
But Mrs Bickerton went out to investigate for herself and found the photos painted the real picture.
She said: “We live just across the other side of the Millfield Park.
“I went with my daughter to look after she sent the first photo on WhatsApp. It really was as blue as the pictures.”
The water levels of the river were also very high, according to Ms Pickerton, who described the water as a “thick cloudy blue”.
She shared the photos to Facebook, to see if other residents had seen it, which led to many locals trying to guess what had caused it.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “The agency was made aware of the blue water at Coalville, which has now cleared.
“The cause of the colour is drain dye, which is harmless to the environment and is regularly used by water companies, drainage contractors and the local authority to detect the flow of water in drains or pipes and to trace leaks.
“No further investigation was required as there was no pollution.
“Anyone can report environmental concerns to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 807060.”
The river is now reportedly back to normal levels and its usual colour.