The residents of Onoway, Canada, were shocked when the water pouring from their faucets turned a fabulous shade of fuchsia.
Facebook user Trevor Winfield posted a video (below) of the pastel water on March 6. “My water is broken,” he wrote. “Thanks town of Onoway.”
Turns out, the Jeffree Star-colored water was the result of some potassium permanganate (omergerd! permanganate!) that accidentally got into the town’s sump reservoir.
Said Onoway Mayor Dale Kkrasnow:
“We are still assessing what exactly happened but it appears a valve may have stuck allowing the potassium permanganate to get into our sump reservoir and thereby into the Town’s water distribution system,” Onoway Mayor Dale Krasnow said on the town’s official website on Tuesday.
Krasnow added though it is shocking to see fuchsia water coming from a tap, potassium permanganate is used in normal treatment processes to help remove iron and manganese, and no one was at risk.
According to the Water Quality Association:
Potassium permanganate improves water’s clarification and is used primarily to control taste and odors, control biological growth in treatment plants and remove iron and manganese. The group also noted that if people bathe in water containing potassium permanganate, they could see some brown staining on the skin, but it’s harmless and temporary.
By Tuesday afternoon, CTV reported that all main lines were clear, but town officials said there still may be some pink water left over. They advised residents to run their water for a few minutes until the odd hue went away.
I think they should have kept it.
It's not Cream Soda or pink lemonade but a sample of what is coming out of the water taps in Onoway. @ctvedmonton pic.twitter.com/hvxJm3eZuR
— Susan Amerongen (@SusanCTV) March 7, 2017