For a brief period of time, a couple of weeks ago, the Wilsons River had a large, wide turquoise/blue streak through it near the Lismore boat ramp in the CBD.  

There are conflicting reports of what caused it or how it got there.

On November 27th, the blue streak was noticed by local Jennifer, who said it was very obvious, “We live beside the river, I just walked past the window and it was there.

“We have seen slicks before, but not for at least about five years.  

“We’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Jennifer tried to report it, but she said nothing was done straight away while the discolouration was apparent.

A social media post generated a lot of discussion, and an eyewitness at Heritage Park on the same day spoke of a problem with blue-coloured water.

“There was the same colour blue/turquoise dye coming out of the kid's water park sprinklers yesterday at Heritage Park.

“All the kid's hands were blue, and clothes were getting stained. It was running out of all the water holes and all over the ground.”

After an initial enquiry on Friday, Lismore City Council directed questions to the EPA.

Last Tuesday, A spokesperson from the EPA said, ”The EPA received a report of discolouration in the Wilsons River on Thursday afternoon and passed the details onto Lismore City Council as the appropriate regulatory authority.”

Yesterday, Lismore City Council reported, “Lismore City Council has concluded an investigation into reports of turquoise discolouration in the Wilsons River near Ballina Street Bridge.

“Council’s inspections confirmed that the discolouration likely stemmed from a blue dye substance found at the water park in Heritage Park, which does not pose any environmental risk.

“The dye appears to have originated from a private event, such as a party, with residual waste like blue balloons found on-site, which were subsequently cleaned up. Council suspects that this is the origin of the pollutant.

“The water park operates on a flow-through mains water system, with residual water draining directly into the stormwater system. Importantly, no water is stored or recycled.

“Inspections confirmed no discolouration at the stormwater discharge point into the river.

(Image credit: Jennifer Joy)

“Community members play a vital role in protecting our local environment. This involves personally reporting any incidents but also simple things like cleaning up after private events and considering any impact from materials used at celebrations.”

The EPA encourages all suspected pollution to be reported immediately for the best chance to track the source.

Pollution can be reported to Lismore City Council on 6625 0500 or the EPA’s 24/7 EnviroLine on 131 555.

Lismore City Council also advises to share as much information as possible, such as the location, time and nature of the pollution.

“You can also contact Lismore City Council for advice or support addressing local pollution concerns.

“By reporting incidents promptly, you help ensure swift action to mitigate environmental harm.

“Lismore City Council is committed to maintaining the health of our waterways and ensuring public spaces are safe and enjoyable for all.”