DEC: 'Prankster' Likely Dyed Town Pond Fluorescent Green

It wasn't algae, chemical runoff or alien mischief-makers that dyed an East Hampton Village pond over the weekend, environmental officials say. It was a joker.

State Department of Environmental Conservation officials think it was likely a non-toxic dye that turned the water the eerie shade of green.

"The most likely cause would be a fluorescent dye, often times used in regards to finding leaking pipes," said DEC spokeswoman Aphrodite Montalvo.

The DEC is not actively investigating the case, she said.

"Somebody either had a tablet in their pocket or kind of did it as a joke," Montalvo said.

The pond had already reverted back to its normal dark green, slightly muddy shade by Tuesday.

"I would hope that's not the case," Mayor Paul Rickenbach Jr. said on Tuesday of a possible prankster.

The mayor said on Saturday that he thought it to be a natural event. Town Natural Resources Director Larry Penny, who was asked to take a water sample, thought it was a type of algae bloom.

"Certainly anything's possible," Montalvo said.

The dye is non-toxic and lingers for just a few days, Montalvo said.

Someone responsible for dropping non-toxic dye into a body of water could face a misdemeanor charge in violation of the State Pollutant Discharging Elimination System, a regulatory statute, for adding turbidity to the water, Montalvo said.

A polluting culprit could face between $3,750 to $37,500 in fines and/or up to one year in prison.

DEC officials said they have seen other situations like this one, like one in Southold Town a few years ago, Montalvo said.

The DEC doesn't suspect any pipes of flowing into the pond. It's doubtful, she said, that someone would be testing their own pipes without a request from a municipality upon suspicion of leakage into the pond.

If the village would like the DEC's help after the water sample results come back, Montalvo said they will step in.