A Kirkcaldy burn which turned luminous green overnight poses no risk to the public or wildlife, environmental experts insist.
Concerned locals raised the alarm on Wednesday when the water running through Pannie Den in Kirkcaldy changed colour.
Officers at the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) received a number of calls reporting what was thought to be pollution at the wooded area close to St Andrews RC High School.
It was initially thought the burn, in a popular walking area, had been polluted with green paint similar to graffiti which recently appeared in the area.
It has now been confirmed it is a traced dye used to test drainage systems.
Kirkcaldy resident Diane Ward said she noticed the colour change when walking her dog early on Wednesday morning.
She said: “I walk my dog here along Pannie Den most days and noticed the water had changed colour.
“It was impossible not to notice as it was a really vivid green colour.
“At first I thought it must be paint that may have been thrown into the burn.”
A fellow dog owner said she had also noticed the change.
Pannie Den popular with dog walkers
She said: “There’s vandalism and graffiti nearby so I thought it must surely have been pollution connected with that.
“I’ve never witnessed anything make the water change the water so much in the past so thought it must have been paint.
“I just had to make sure my dog didn’t go anywhere near the water as it looked so toxic.”
Environmental chiefs have moved to reassure the public that there is no risk from the discolouration.
Sepa confirmed the change is due to the use of a tracer dye in connection with a blocked sewer nearby.
They added the problem is being investigated by engineers from Scottish Water.
Public not at risk say environment agency
A Sepa spokesperson said: “Dye testing uses luminous tracer dye, often green, to check drainage system connections, and is widely used.
“People may see traces of this in the watercourse over the next few days as it works through the system.
“The dye is designed for this purpose and is not harmful to the environment or local ecology.”
Wastewater discharged into Den Burn
A spokesperson for Scottish Water, added: “Scottish Water responded to a blocked sewer near Cumbrae Terrace on March 8 which led to wastewater discharging into the Den Burn which was cleared.
“Our teams were on site today dye testing the sewer network as part of follow on investigation work.
“This blockage was caused by wet wipes combining with other items of litter.
“Through our Nature Calls campaign, we are calling for everyone to bin wet wipes and never flush them as these cause the majority of the 36,000 sewer blockages we respond to each year.”
Conversation