Residents of a Utah city were left baffled and concerned after a mysterious green foam emerged from city sewers in a scene reminiscent of ‘Ghostbusters’.
Health officials have launched an investigation into the source of the foam-like substance after it first appeared in the city of Bluffdale on Thursday.
Local resident Tara Dahl said she could see the foam from almost a block away and that it was “kind of bubbling a little bit, and then you got closer and you could see it start rising.”
"I was amused by it, so I just kept getting closer to kind of examine, to see what it was," Dahl told Fox13, adding that she wasn’t too keen on touching it. "I don't want that stuff on me, I don't know what it is.”
While tests are still being carried out to figure out what the foam is, officials from Bluffdale’s fire department believe the substance is algae-related, following the discovery of an algal bloom patch at Utah Lake, according to KSL.
Salt Lake Health County Department disagrees, however, saying that as the drain is connected to the nearby Welby Jacobs Canal, which is also currently bright green, it’s “likely related to annual canal moss cleaning process” and “unlikely to be related to algae.”
#Bluffdale green foam in Welby Canal likely related to annual canal moss cleaning process; unlikely to be related to #algae.#SLCo
With the Welby Jacobs Canal connected to Jordan River, which is in turn connected to Utah Lake, it’s not yet known who is right about the source of the weird foam.
Nicholas Rupp from the Salt Lake County Health Department did say that either way “it's certainly possible” Welby Canal“does have some of that particular harmful algae that produces toxins in it.”
Residents too are exercising greater caution due to the potentially harmful toxins in the canal water.
"My wife has usually let our dogs swim in it, so we're not doing that because we heard there are some issues,” Brad Nielsen told Fox13. “But I am still using the water in my yard.”
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