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Video: Dubai Marina's orange water mystery solved

Murky water near Dubai Marina baffles residents

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Authorities on Friday gave the all-clear to the water near Dubai Marina. They said the change in colour was caused by a chemical named Bentonite. Bentonite only changes the colour of water and there are no harmful effects on health and the environment.

The substance flowed into the water from a construction site in Qarn Al Sabkha. Dubai Municipality said the site is connected to the Marina through a drainage system. The orange-red colour of the water was first noticed on Thursday and social media was soon abuzz with pictures.

On Friday morning, the bright colour turned muddy brown. The murky water spread over at least 1.5km, beyond Marina Mall, towards the south end, near Choithrams and closer to Jebel Ali. But there was no foul smelli n the area.

Eng. Talib Julfar, Assistant Director-General of Dubai Municipality for Environment and Public Health Services Sector, said a nearby construction site was probably the reason for the change in the colour of the water.
 

The water in #DubaiMarina continued to be unclear on Friday morning. The cause is still unknown. (Video by Nivriti Butalia/Khaleej Times) pic.twitter.com/I0LgUChc8o
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) June 23, 2017

"It is probably a substance that contractors use to strengthen weak soil. The substance is used as contractors pour the casting after they de-water the area," Julfar told Khaleej Times, noting that the substance probably made its way to the water.

Only the colour has changed, he said, and a team is working to clean the water.

According to security staff in the area, Dubai Municipality officials have been on site since Friday morning, trying to locate the source of the reddish water. The municipality officials were positioned at the One Marina building examining the contamination that sources believe could be from the construction site nearby. Thankfully, the contamination did not affect the drinking water supply of residents in Marina.

Maintenance crew at the bridge near Wyndham Hotel where construction is underway, told Khaleej Times that "most likely it is a groundwater problem from the construction site but DEWA officials are inspecting the source," after being alerted on Thursday evening.

A month ago, there was also a change in the sea colour off Dubai's Jumeirah beach and the Dubai Municipality issued a clarification that it was due to an algal bloom called 'Trichodesmium erythraeum' (sea sawdust) which was harmless and washed away within few days.
Have you noticed a change in sea colour at Dubai's Jumeirah beach?
Meanwhile, concerned residents took to social media to question about the strange sight. 

#emaar what's spillage is this???#dubaimarina pic.twitter.com/iqOWUzBPQ0
- Shaz Hussey (@Shazzarinski) June 22, 2017

Strange goings on in #DubaiMarina this evening pic.twitter.com/4xjEfWJLrh
- Louise Redvers (@LouiseRedvers) June 22, 2017

(inputs Nivriti Butalia and Sherouk Zakaria)

reporters@khaleejtimes.com