Locals baffled after stream near popular park turns strange shade of bright blue

08 March 2024 , 23:13

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David shared a picture of the stream having turned blue (Image: David Orchard/MEN MEDIA)

Experts are looking into how a stream near a popular park in Stockport turned a strange colour.

The watercourse, close to Bruntwood Park in Cheadle, was seen having turned a bright, almost luminous shade of blue and a local dog walker who was in the area shared a picture and warning for other dog walkers to keep their pets away from going into the stream.

David Orchard, 48, saw it as he was walking his dog shortly before 12:30pm on Tuesday. He told the Manchester Evening News: "It is a run-off from a field at the end of Bruntwood Lane. It runs into a stream that goes into the park. I've never seen water like it before."

Sharing his warning on social media David said, "My dog doesn't go in that stream, but I quite often seen dogs downstream of that location."

In January 2023, reported a woodland stream in Cardiff that turned into a bright blue colour. The cause was concluded to be a harmless dye used to check the drainage system according to Natural Resources Wales.

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At the time, Ecology professor at the University of Cardiff Steve Ormerod told WalesOnline: “Dye can be used for tracing work, where water is being traced either for hydrological measuring purposes to trace pathways, what operators will do is use a dye and they’ll put it in at a certain point they want to trace the exit from, and then wherever the dye comes out allows them to work out what the connections are between those two locations."

In December 2017, reported a stream off the River Ouse also changed colour to bright blue. It was reported that dogs had been reportedly falling ill after swimming in water near the area in Huntingdon, sparking an investigation into the source of the pollutant.

An investigation by Anglican Water concluded the location of the leak to a nearby industrial business but did not name the business but the situation was rectified.

The blue water at Bruntwood Park has been reported to Stockport Council's parks team. A spokesperson for the town hall said they were liaising with the Environment Agency, who are investigating.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We have had a report on this incident. We take all reports of environmental incidents seriously and log the information provided on our incident database. We use the information provided to build a picture of environmental threats to enable targeted regulation and enforcement to protect the environment.

"We encourage any members of the public to report any new, re-occurring or worsening environmental incidents on 0800 80 70 60. In line with the responsibilities we have, we will always pursue and prosecute those that cause deliberate harm to the environment.”

Chris Slater