Rizna Mutmainah
Travel Trouble

"Green cordial" water in Sydney harbour baffles residents

A bay in Sydney Harbour has turned neon green, with authorities currently investigating the cause. 

Locals were baffled when they saw the bay along Hipwood Street in Kirribilli, near Milsons Park, turn bright green at about 3pm on Wednesday, with many calling the incident "unusual". 

Firefighters said they were  "alerted to a large spill of fluorescent green material flowing into the harbour".

One local described the water as "green cordial" and said it resembled "radioactive stuff you see in superhero movies".

NSW Fire and Rescue then conducted several tests and said the water is not toxic and is currently not harming the environment. 

The Fire and Rescue team are now trying to flush out the green substance, and said that the incoming rain should help turn the water colour back to normal. 

Another resident told 9News that they had seen green water in a stormwater drain at Anderson Park, along Clark Road, on Tuesday, before the green colour spread to the bay on Wednesday.

Later in the afternoon, a North Sydney Council spokeswoman confirmed that were no major pollutants in the green water: “At this stage our engineers believe the substance is likely to be fluorescein, which is used as a dye for plumbing works. Fluorescein is a non-toxic substance and breaks down with UV light. The green colour is a feature that makes it easy to trace.” 

Green water was also spotted in Neutral Bay on Wednesday according to another local. 

Image: Nine

Tags:
Travel Trouble, Sydney, Kirribilli