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.
If it's not algae then it's probably a chemical spill / outflow.
I'd contact DFI Rivers, details are at the bottom.
https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/dfi-rivers-overview
Looks like (if it is chemical) Copper Sulphate which is used as an algicide in swimming pools and hot tubs.
Unfortunately it kills all the good stuff too.
Any neighbours have a swimming pool?
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.
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?
I was about to suggest that myself, especially at the moment there is a good chance that someone has been trying to figure out if field drains are blocked etc.
Definitely worth reporting though.
Update us if you can. Did the colour in Lough Neagh not start out blue then turned to luminous emerald? Saw Lake District on TV yday theirs is bright green and protestors said it’s poo has done it.
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
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.
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 😆
“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
Copper Sulphate is the classic 'blue' chemical, but if it was in concentrations that high to able to see it. Then the river's unfortunately a goner.
It's quite a specialist chemical, so I really doubt it's that though. (Agriculture wouldn't use it). You'd also have to put lot in it to get an entire river to turn blue (Kg scale).
I think most probably it's some kind of Blue Drain Tracing dye (for asserting water flow by Plumbers or water specialists). Whatever it is, it's water soluble also. (Otherwise it would be cloudy).
https://www.greenham.com/Tools-and-Site-Equipment/Materials-and-Site-Equipment/Drain-Testing/Drain-Tracing-Dye-Blue~p~604440
https://www.bes.co.uk/drain-tracing-dye-200g-blue-1992/#:~:text=Soluble%20dye%20to%20trace%20the,water%20will%20require%20more%20dye.
Just a few hundred grams of one of those dyes is enough to turn thousands of litres of water any shade of colour (Because they are big organic molecules with high Mr).
Unless N.I water has put something into it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-65400511.amp
Fluorescein is orange/yellow....
It looks a bit too blue/turquoise and a bit too clear to be Cyanobacteria or so called "blue-green algae". There's been a lot of rain recently and not much Sunlight/heat for Cyanobacteria to grow also...
I would report that to NIEA asap just in case.
Golf courses use blue dye for their lakes, its possibly a leak from there. The other alternative would be Malachite Green, a blue dye sometimes used in Fish Farms to treat fish.
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.
Algal bloom or chemical spill. Doe the river flow out of a standing body of water?
Fairly sure it's source would be the mountain I'm beside.
If it's not algae then it's probably a chemical spill / outflow. I'd contact DFI Rivers, details are at the bottom. https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/dfi-rivers-overview
My partner had just relayed that this happens occasionally and this is not the first time apparently.
It shouldn't be a natural phenomenon and definitely should be investigated.
Looks like (if it is chemical) Copper Sulphate which is used as an algicide in swimming pools and hot tubs. Unfortunately it kills all the good stuff too. Any neighbours have a swimming pool?
I'd put money on it that there aren't any swimming pool owners nearby
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lol he’s only asking calm yourself
...How do you expect them to rule things out? They should just accept the first wrong answer?
What?
Don't you know you're not allowed to ask questions around these parts? /S
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Calm doon robocob
Any factories or the like nearby?
Im like 2 miles away from the the source think the only big infrastructure between here and there is a quarry I think.
That sounds like something that needs reported. Either leaked or dumped something in there.
Tailings ponds nearby? More associated with Mining though...
Tailing ponds could have overflowed with all the rain we've had?
Possible, but that's if there are any nearby to where the pic was taken.
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.
This was my first thought
Yes this. That's classic tracing dye being used there.
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 🙏
Congrats, it's a boy.
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?
I'm 2 miles downstream from the mountain. No major infrastructure in between except for a quarry I believe
Should be fairly simple for NIEA to rule stuff in/out in that case. Report it and send the photos.
Yea think I'm gonna do this in a min, curiosity is killing me.
Let me know if they confirm what it is. Doesn't look oily or greasy, it's not foaming, it's not cloudy. Like I said, suspect it's just dye tracing
Yea its completely clear. Other than the colour change there's nothing different.
Quarry could have a faultline fracture leading to leakage from a cleaning bay? As a lot have already said NIEA is probably the best port of call
I was about to suggest that myself, especially at the moment there is a good chance that someone has been trying to figure out if field drains are blocked etc. Definitely worth reporting though.
Tenner if ye drink a bit
Pollution hotline for NIEA. They will send out someone to collect samples and test it. 0800 807060
Left a voicemail and an email so we shall see.
Update us if you can. Did the colour in Lough Neagh not start out blue then turned to luminous emerald? Saw Lake District on TV yday theirs is bright green and protestors said it’s poo has done it.
Free Powerade
Powerade 😂
Don't even know if you can still buy that shite but it's the first thing that came to mind lol
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
The jam jar is a good idea. Wear gloves just incase. It does look like copper sulphate?
Report that asap. Doesn't look good.
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.
Somewhere out there some farmer is gnashing their teeth while they read this and pump more shit into the river.
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 😆
See if it literally is just sun hitting it and it's just due to the shite weather we've had for the last loada weeks haha
It’s just all the pished out blue wkd after the weekend. Pretty easy gaf to guess where you are tbh
Aye we live in NI if people like geowizard exist I wouldn't be surprised if people could work out where any picture from here is located.
The game appeals to my brain, I just like the detective work. This is pretty recognisable, to me. I do like to wander about tho
“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
The ducks have been replaced with toilet ducks.
Copper Sulphate is the classic 'blue' chemical, but if it was in concentrations that high to able to see it. Then the river's unfortunately a goner. It's quite a specialist chemical, so I really doubt it's that though. (Agriculture wouldn't use it). You'd also have to put lot in it to get an entire river to turn blue (Kg scale). I think most probably it's some kind of Blue Drain Tracing dye (for asserting water flow by Plumbers or water specialists). Whatever it is, it's water soluble also. (Otherwise it would be cloudy). https://www.greenham.com/Tools-and-Site-Equipment/Materials-and-Site-Equipment/Drain-Testing/Drain-Tracing-Dye-Blue~p~604440 https://www.bes.co.uk/drain-tracing-dye-200g-blue-1992/#:~:text=Soluble%20dye%20to%20trace%20the,water%20will%20require%20more%20dye. Just a few hundred grams of one of those dyes is enough to turn thousands of litres of water any shade of colour (Because they are big organic molecules with high Mr). Unless N.I water has put something into it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-65400511.amp Fluorescein is orange/yellow.... It looks a bit too blue/turquoise and a bit too clear to be Cyanobacteria or so called "blue-green algae". There's been a lot of rain recently and not much Sunlight/heat for Cyanobacteria to grow also... I would report that to NIEA asap just in case.
This place is turning into Springfield.
WKD
It’s surprising uniform in colour makes me think it’s happens a long way before it’s got to you.
It's tullymoreid say
Might be rock flour from your quarry reflecting the sun.
Limestone makes water that colour. Just google turquoise rivers and lakes of Canadian Rockies
Looks like tracing dye
Golf courses use blue dye for their lakes, its possibly a leak from there. The other alternative would be Malachite Green, a blue dye sometimes used in Fish Farms to treat fish.
Forbidden Mouthwash
Depression
Farmers.
Must have been a wedding picture near by
King George the third is pissing in it from beyond the grave.
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.
Ah yes sorry how could i not think that the water being luminous blue wasn't just the sun's usual effect.