The Town of Hillsborough is monitoring cleanup efforts in a local creek after town officials say approximately 50 gallons of cleaning product leaked into it, turning the creek a bright green color.
On Thursday, WRAL spoke with Hillsborough Storm Water and Environmental Services Manager Terry Hackett. He said several people notified the town after noticing the water's abnormal color.
"I knew that we had an issue, and of course, my first question is, well, what is it?" Hackett said.
Southern Pride Car Wash owner Larry Bryant Warren said the leak happened after a pump for tire and wheel cleaner busted during the cold and drained into the creek.
Warren said the car wash was built in the 70s and when he purchased it, he did not know the drainage carried into the nearby creek.
According to the product's Safety Data Sheet, its ingredients include water, a mixture of surfactants, sodium hydroxide, Tetra Sodium EDTA, and 2-Butoxyethanol. It can irritate both the skin and eyes.
The car wash is temporarily closed until the drainage system is fixed.
It's a decision Warren said was hard to make.
"My name's on it, so everybody's watching," Warren said. "I don't want it to be attached to things that mess up our community."
Warren hired a team to clean the chemicals out of the creek.
So far, he said, the creek is starting to look better.
"[It] doesn't look like the Grinch anymore," he said.
According to Hackett, the creek's PH level is back to normal. He says the remaining green color in the creek is dye from the cleaner.
"They put in absorbent socks or booms," Hackett said. "They used hay bales, and then they used the vac truck to suck up as much as they could."
WRAL News asked Hackett if the runoff affected the town's drinking and tap water.
"No," Hackett said. "The Town of Hillsborough's water intake is on the Eno River, but well upstream. Because of the amount and the cleanup efforts, I can't imagine there'll be any impact."
Hackett said the town will continue to monitor the creek to ensure there are no adverse environmental impacts.