What is the mystery bright blue liquid in a Greater Manchester river
Residents in New Mills are puzzled by a bright blue liquid found in the River Goyt
New Mills, Greater Manchester, River Goyt, United Utilities, Blue Liquid
New Mills: Folks in New Mills were left confused after spotting a strange blue liquid in the River Goyt. It happened yesterday, and people couldn’t believe their eyes.
Photos shared with the M.E.N. show this bright blue stuff sitting right at the riverbank, really standing out against the usual brown water. It was spotted near the community hydro-electric generator station where the Goyt and Sett rivers meet.
This generator is a local project run by volunteers, and it provides power to a nearby Co-op. There’s also a combined sewer overflow from United Utilities at the same spot.
When it rains heavily, like it did on New Year’s Eve, these overflows can release sewage into the rivers. This is supposed to help prevent sewage from backing up into homes when the sewers get too full.
One local told the M.E.N. that United Utilities mentioned the blue liquid was a ‘known discharge,’ but they later said they were still looking into where it came from.
Residents have noticed that discharges happen regularly at this location. One neighbor mentioned, “There’s often a discharge here, and it usually smells pretty bad, but this time, I didn’t notice any smell.”
They added, “I’ve never seen anything this color before. The blue really pops against all the white snow we have right now!”
When asked for a comment, a spokesperson from United Utilities said, “Our storm overflow has been working as it should after the heavy rain and snowmelt we’ve experienced recently. We’re currently investigating the source of the blue liquid that was spotted.”