Philadelphia

University of Delaware Pipe Burst Leads to Bright Green Water

People in Delaware noticed something strange in the water earlier this week that might have had them thinking that Slimer was in town.

The green water flowing down a drainage ditch at Phillips Park and along other area waterways was nothing more than a dye, however, stemming from a pipe break in nearby University of Delaware.

About 500 gallons of chilled water containing a fluorescent green dye — used as a leak tracer — leaked from a cooling system of inside Purnell Hall along Amstel Avenue, said school spokeswoman Donna O’Brien.

"There was a cracked pipe and it leaked into the sewer system," said O'Brien.

The bright-colored tracer was being used to track the root of the original break. 

"The water contains a nontoxic florescent dye ... it's not harmful to health or the environment," said O'Brien. "It's just a very bright green."

Crews located the source of the leak and fixed the problem Monday night but the green river continued to raise eyebrows even after it washed away.

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The tracer used in Delaware appears to be similar to a green dye that raised eyebrows in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood a few years ago that left people wondering if the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were living under the street.

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