CLINTON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) -- Residents in a Clinton Township neighborhood noticed something looked a little strange in their backyards over the weekend.
The water in Cranberry Creek -- which is located near 17 Mile and Garfield roads inside Cranberry Subdivision -- was suddenly florescent green in color, causing concern among neighbors.
The Macomb County Public Works Office and the Clinton Township Fire Department were notified around noon on Sunday of the discoloration.
However, a recent update from the department says that the water is not toxic.
A series of tests proved that the Cranberry Marsh Drain, which runs into the Clinton River, was not being affected by anti-freeze or runoff from a local business.
Instead, the change in color reportedly occurred because of a non-toxic dye that the Clinton Township Water and Sewer Department used to test a sump pump in the area on Friday for illicit sewage connections and discharges.
According to Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, the test was performed because the county had been tipped off to the possibility of an illegal sewer connection, and they wanted to verify the information.
“The township was doing dye testing because they had thought there might be an illegal sanitary sewer connection, which they fortunately found out was not the case,” Miller said.
Experts say the dye is like food coloring, and similar to what is used to turn the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day. The dye will enter the Clinton River on Monday and is diluting as it heads upstream.
Meanwhile, photos from local resident Susan Biernat show the Cranberry Marsh Drain is returning back to its normal color.
“There’s no cause for alarm,” Miller said. “It is very good that the public actually notified us, so we appreciate the public’s help. We have zero tolerance for any contaminants in our waterways.”
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