Christmas colored creek causing concern in Lindner Park

NORWOOD, OH (FOX19) - A colorful creek in Lindner Park has been a point of conversation in both the Norwood community and in nearby Pleasant Ridge.

People who frequent the park have reported that the water has been green and red recently, and they want to know what is causing the color change.

Ann Brandon said she noticed it Monday when she was walking her dog on a trail near the creek. She spotted a man taking pictures of the water and decided to stop and take photos too.

With the holiday season underway, Brandon said she was curious if the color change was a coincidence or perhaps part of a Christmas display.

"[It was] like lime green and blood red," Brandon said. "If it's a joke or something, I would assume that somebody would know that and would say 'hey, this is just red and green for Christmas dye.'"

This is not the first time the creek has been in the limelight as neighbors have been worried about a sewage smell.

"The whole summer long there was like this horrible stench and like this light gray cloudy film on the water," Brandon said.

The latest issues with the creek's color prompted Brandon and others in the community to take action by contacting the Ohio EPA and the Metropolitan Sewer District, or MSD.

"My biggest concern is that there's a lot of wildlife and plants and wonderful things at that park," she said.

According to an MSD spokesperson, the Ohio EPA sent MSD a notice on Friday about sewage odors and potential sewage at the creek. In response, MSD sent crews to investigate.

The spokesperson said they did not find any evidence of sewage in the water.

As for the Christmas colors, the spokesperson said crews used a fluorescent dye to test a storm sewer that outfalls into the creek and that dye caused the color change.

Here is the full statement from MSD:

"MSD received notice from the Ohio EPA on Friday, December 8 of sewage odors and potential sewage in a creek at Lindner Park in Norwood. MSD investigated and found no evidence of odors or sewage in the creek. During their investigation, MSD dye tested a storm sewer that outfalls into the creek using fluorescent dye, which is non-toxic. This is standard procedure. The source of the color in the creek was the fluorescent dye."

Brandon said she is glad the community was able to come together to look into the issue.