Why The Water In A Canadian Town Turned Into Bright Pink?

The tap water in the Canadian town of Onoway, Alberta, turned bright pink earlier this week. The residents were shocked to see their water in outrageous color.

Some of the residents took photos of it and shared these on social media. One commentator described it as a disaster. Some warned the people not to drink the water.

Many residents complained and the town officials were apologetic about what happened. They are now investigating the cause of the water that turned into bright pink.

The reason why this entire town's water turned hot pink https://t.co/GWsEp9bloQ pic.twitter.com/flZlDwJh5v

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 9, 2017

So, how did the tap water turn into this strange color? Onoway's Mayor Dale Krasnow said that a valve might be stuck and then allowed potassium permanganate to get into the sump reservoir and into the town's water distribution system. Potassium permanganate is a usual chemical used for water treatment to eliminate iron and manganese from well water. When this chemical breaks down in water, it becomes pink in color, as noted by CBS News.

Krasnow also said that once they realized this substance had entered beyond their reservoir and into their distribution lines, Public Works immediately commenced flushing all their distribution lines in the town. He added that unfortunately, their distribution system is a loop system that makes it much more difficult to control and isolate the water flow.

It is reported that there were no adverse effects in this incident. The officials are urging the residents not to worry. Alberta Health Services spokesperson Shannon Evans said that the clear majority of individuals will not experience any impacts linked with normal consumption and no long-term health risks are associated with consuming this water, according to Science Alert.