St Andrews residents have been left mystified as a burn in the town has turned bright orange.
Environmental officers have launched an investigation into the cause of discolouration at Kinness Burn in the town.
Water along the entire stretch has been transformed following heavy rain and snow in the area in recent days.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are sending an inspection team to determine the cause of the problem, as well as whether the contamination poses a risk to wildlife and the environment.
It is thought to be the result of water from historic mine workings which contains naturally occurring metals.
Sight prompts Willy Wonka references
St Andrews resident Barbara Boyd, who witnessed the mystery discolouration, said it is the first time she has seen anything like it.
“The water was running a real bright orange colour all the way along the burn at Lade Braes and looked very strange,” she said.
Some locals have since renamed transformed watercourse the ‘Irn Bru Burn’ due to the colour being similar to the famous fizzy drink.
Meanwhile, others have said it resembles the chocolate river in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory film after photographs and video of the strange phenomenon were posted on social media.
Colour change could be linked to former mines
St Andrews Liberal Democrat councillor Jane Anne Liston said the new colour was certainly cause for investigation.
She has called on Sepa officers to determine the cause of the drastic change in water colour.
She added: “I’ve never seen Kinness Burn this colour before – which is not normal and certainly must be investigated.
“Sometimes it’s iron discolouration from old mine workings or something similar but I’m not aware of any old mines in that part of the constituency.
“Another possibility is that it is a red ochre dye that is sometimes used in farming.
“I’m hoping that it is nothing harmful to the local habitat but being so unusual and such a bright colour that doesn’t seem to have appeared before, I’ve alerted Sepa officers to come and investigate to allay any fears the public may have.”
A Sepa spokesperson said the agency is investigating but suspects it is related to historic mine workings.
“Sepa would like to thank members of the public for reporting the pollution incident in the Kinness Burn in St Andrews,” they said.
“We believe the discolouration may be associated with historic mine workings.
“Water from the mine workings contains naturally occurring metals, such as iron, from the mined rocks.
“When mine water flows into a river, the iron settles on the bed of the river, causing orange staining.
“Sepa is working with the Coal Authority to investigate the source of the pollution.”
Information can be given to Sepa via an online form at www.sepa.org.uk/report
