COLOR/
APPEARANCE
|
SMELL
|
DESCRIPTION/
POSSIBLE SOURCE
|
Bright green
(or other bright,
unnatural color)
|
None
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Uranine dye
used in antifreeze (bright green).
- Dye used for
testing sewer lines, storm drains, ground water systems, etc. (usually
green, blue, red, violet, etc.).
|
Red to orange to
purple (variable)
|
None to slightly sweet or
fermented
|
DESCRIPTION
- Found only in
standing water.
- Color is pH
dependent.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Could be
natural berry extract, look for berries such as mulberry, persimmon,
etc.
|
Brown to gold, clear
|
None
|
DESCRIPTION
- Found only in
standing water.
- Presence of
leaves/organic matter in area.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Could be
extract from decaying leaves.
|
Variable colored
scum floating on the
surface
|
None to faint organic
solvent
|
DESCRIPTION
- Usually does
not color the water.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Indicative of
oil based paints that are immiscible with water.
- Can also
indicate spray paint sprayed directly onto the water surface. *This can
cause some coloring of the water.
|
Dark green
(brown or golden)
|
None
(sometimes musty)
|
DESCRIPTION
- Fibrous, slimy
layers of algae, possibly with air bubbles in daylight hours.
- Usually one
predominant species of algae.
- Convulsive,
erratic swimming and lethargic behavior in fish.
- Often
associated with fish kills due to high pH (>9.5) and high dissolved
oxygen.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Excessive
algal growth most frequently caused by excess nutrients or fertilizers.
|
Brown, black or gray
|
None
(or rotting organic
matter)
|
DESCRIPTION
- Usually
observed in the evening and early morning hours.
- Fish gasping
and swimming at the surface.
- Often
associated with fish kills due to low dissolved oxygen (<2.0 ppm)
with pH of 6.0-7.5.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Large amount
of dying algae, frequently occurs after an algal bloom.
|
Yellow scum or suds
|
None
(possibly pine-like)
|
DESCRIPTION
- Usually in
stagnant water or nonflowing pools.
- Typically in
spring or summer.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Caused by
pollen from flowering trees or evergreens (typically oaks or junipers).
|
Brown to off-white
and turbid or silty
|
None
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Natural
sediments in stormwater.
- Excessive
amounts in stormwater could indicate inadequate erosion
controls at construction sites.
- Sediments in nonstormwater runoff
could indicate washing at construction sites.
|
White and cloudy (no
identifiable solids),
chalky where dry
|
None
|
DESCRIPTION
- Suspended in
flowing water, can settle out in still water.
- Usually in an
easy to follow trail to the source.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Typical runoff
from concrete pouring, washing or cutting.
|
*White and cloudy (no
identifiable solids),
sometimes chalky
where dry
NOTE: color can
vary widely
|
None or faint to
strong latex paint
smell
|
DESCRIPTION
- In flowing or
standing water will mix through entire water column.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Typically
runoff from the washing of painting equipment.
|
White and sudsy
(can sometimes be
bright green or blue
tinted.)
|
Sometimes detergent
or cleaner smell
(may have a solvent odor.)
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Usually
associated with home car washing or other detergent discharge.
- Industrial
strength floor cleaners, floor strippers and waxes usually form more
tenacious suds.
|
Gray or black:
as film on surface or
scum on bottom, with
or without solids; can
also be clear with no
solids.
|
Strong "sewer" or
ammonia odor
|
DESCRIPTION
- Usually easy
to follow upstream to the source.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Indicative of
sewage leak or overflow.
- If solids are
in the form of small "pellets", it could be bat guano
(typically late spring to early fall).
|
Yellowish-brown,
lumpy and immiscible
in water
|
Oily
|
DESCRIPTION
- Material
clumps and can be somewhat frothy.
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Usually caused
by emulsified oil or lubricant.
|
Whitish to brownish,
lumpy or filmy
|
Rancid cooking
grease
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Typically from
a restaurant cooking grease bin or improper disposal and washing
practices.
|
Dull sheen, swirls or
has plates when
disturbed
|
None or rotting
organic matter
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Bacterial or
fungal scum on the surface in standing water associated with decaying
organic matter or fish kills.
|
Reddish-orange (or
iridescent) filmy scum
deposits or staining
|
None
|
DESCRIPTION
- Usually at
small seeps, springs or storm sewer outfalls.
- Iridescent
sheen is broken up into irregularly shaped "plates" when
disturbed; does not swirl. (NOTE: If swirls, see rainbow sheen.)
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Caused by high
iron concentrations and iron bacteria.
- In seeps and
spring, it could indicate old landfills.
|
Rainbow sheen,
swirls when disturbed
|
None to oil, gasoline
or diesel
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Typical in stormwater runoff
from streets or parking lots.
- In nonstormwater runoff,
could indicate a petroleum spill.
|
Orange/brown with
thick floating mats;
rainbow sheen
present or absent
|
None to a petroleum
or diesel smell
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Can be
indicative of "old" diesel.
|
Rainbow sheen with
droplets colored red,
blue or yellow
|
Diesel smell
|
POSSIBLE
SOURCES:
- Diesel is now
sold colored coded depending on federal fuel
taxes paid:
red - for use off road in construction machinery or generators
blue - for use in farm machinery
yellow - for use as motor fuel on roads
*purple, green, orange are obtained by illegally mixing fuels
- If highly
viscous and red, it could be transmission fluid.
|
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