Mystery green fluid at Otumuheke stream. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
A mysterious bright green fluid visible leaching into the Otumuheke Stream off Spa Road on Friday is still being investigated, and preliminary testing results have been received.
The stream flows down through bush to the well-known tourist attraction the 'hot spot' on the Waikato River at Otumuheke Reserve.
Preliminary testing results indicate the substance is consistent with tracer dye, according to the Waikato Regional Council. Tracer dye, by nature of its use, is generally non-toxic, though further testing is being conducted to confirm this finding with those results expected back on Friday.
Waikato Regional Council Senior Incident Response Officer Paul George confirmed: "We received some preliminary results back late yesterday that indicate the substance is consistent with a tracer dye. The lab is still running some further testing for us to confirm these findings."
"Tracer dye is generally used to determine where pipes or channels flow and to determine their location or whereabouts in circumstances when no other information is available," George added.
The contaminant was detected just above the foot bridge near the Spa Hotel on Friday evening, with no pipe detected as a source for the discharge which was seeping from the bed of the stream at that point.
By Monday morning Taupō District Council staff who were also involved in checking the stream along with iwi on Saturday, were reporting that the stream was running clear.
When first alerted to the unidentified bright green fluid, the WRC urged water users and swimmers to exercise caution at the Otumuheke Stream and called for anyone with information about its source to contact their incident response team on 0800 800 401.
