:quality(70)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-cmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/JQ7GDOI5TUDOFY6UAHS5XLFZJ4.jpg)
ONOWAY, Alberta — The taps were running pink in a Canadian town on Monday, alarming residents.
Officials in Onoway apologized for the incident but assured residents that the discolored water was not a public health risk.
The taps ran pink due to a leak of a chemical used to treat the water.
Posted by BBC News on Wednesday, March 8, 2017
The pink-tinged water was caused by a common water-treatment chemical, potassium permanganate, according to the BBC report. The chemical is used to remove iron and hydrogen sulphide from the water supply.
A malfunctioning valve allowed some of the chemical to seep into the water supply, according to town officials. Residents were upset that they weren't informed about the cause of the pink water until the next morning.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/WZOXB5CKP5CBFA35EGGSY5SKVI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XTUE37ZYUZFVLLSD7JZ5S2L4WI.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SNLWZBPQR5E3PDESM2GSZKRN3Y.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/C6S3J3GOC5H3JGOBOWALACO4AA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/AJLBZCWEJJDOTFJWFIRINHS4IQ.jpeg)