Residents living near a significant stretch of the Afon Lwyd river in Torfaen were astonished when it suddenly turned orange. The rust-colored transformation occurred as the river flowed through Pontypool’s Charlesville area on Friday, prompting locals to share photos on social media and speculate about the cause behind the copper-like hue.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) investigated the incident, revealing that the water pollution originated from a former ironworks. Fortunately, the discolouration appeared to be diminishing as the river gradually returned to a clearer state.
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Various theories were proposed by residents, ranging from sewage contamination to a promotional stunt for a new Willy Wonka film. However, on Sunday, NRW, in collaboration with The Coal Authority, identified the source of the mine water pollution as the Cwmsychan Brook Culvert, a former ironworks site near Abersychan in Torfaen. They reported that the orange sediment persisted on the riverbed, even though the overall discolouration had subsided by that time.