Residents stunned as Welsh river turns bright orange

[CJ]

Saw this posted on UKCaving and thought I would repost it here:

Residents stunned as Welsh river turns bright orange

Natural Resources Wales confirmed that they have been made aware and are assessing the situation at Afon Lwyd near Pontypool

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[44163]

I may have done that to the Llugwy once

 

[AKuhlmann]

An update from the Coal Authority

 

[M Bundlethwait]

Who went in there then?

 

[cantclimbtom]

Could be water buildup breaking through, or it could be a dig. But if it was a dig, isn't the old expression "discretion is the better part of valour"

 

[M Bundlethwait]

Could be water buildup breaking through, or it could be a dig. But if it was a dig, isn't the old expression "discretion is the better part of valour"

Not actually expecting anybody to admit it

 

[Andy Mears]

When we had a galvanising line, with associated pickle shop the works discharge, which ran into a local water course would always look like this when they had an acid spill. I believe the reduction of P.H. caused the iron, that was present in solution, to precipitate out, making the brook run orange.

 

[cantclimbtom]

If only I'd listened in Chemistry and not been flicking things with my ruler or playing with the gas taps! But as well as precipitating doesn't acid dissolve stuff and make it change colour to become ochre once the acidic muck mixes back with plain water again? Iron 2+ is like dilute urine, iron 3+ is like very strong urine and iron 4+ is the ochre we know and "love". Something like that, I feel the need to light a gas tap now. Aghh did I just earn a detention again!??

Science made alive: Chemistry/Solutions

 

[BikinGlynn]

Looks like @TomFerry & myself have been there lol.

 

[TomFerry]

Looks like @TomFerry & myself have been there lol.

I said to keep that .

Some one has clearly been hard at work