Neon green water in Wrightsville Beach leaves people with questions

The water along the south end of Wrightsville Beach on Monday was a surprise to folks living there: it was neon green.

Some on social media thought it might be runoff from fertilizers, others suspected algae was to blame, and a few believed it was some sort of dye.

As it turns out, the latter are correct.

Town Manager Tim Owens believes the neon green is an environmentally sensitive dye used to find leaks.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the dye was coming from their neighbor, who Owens believes has been frustrated with ongoing construction that has led to erosion and sinkholes.

WECT reports dyes like the one suspected in the waterway are harmless and are used to detect leaks and runoff from properties into the water.

The dye can also be used to identifiy rip currents, which can be difficult to spot.