Cause Still Murky 1 Year After Town Pond Turns Flourescent Green

One year ago on Monday, the , but the source of the short-lived hue change is no more clear today than it was then.

While the State Department of Environmental Conservation said last year that , Village Administrator Larry Cantwell said village officials think it was just an ecological shift. "Our conclusion was that it was an algae bloom," he said.

The oddly colored pond, at the turn from Montauk Highway onto Main Street, drew quite a bit of attention over the 2011 Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Cantwell said he's seen rapid increase in algae in before — though never quite that bright a flourescent green. He recalled getting a call July 2, a Saturday morning, at 6. from Superintendent of Highways Scott Fithian saying, "You've got to come down here and see this!"

Within a few days, the pond reverted back to its normal dark green, slightly muddy shade. The wildlife around the pond was seemingly unaffected.

Deputy Mayor Barbara Borsack, a lifelong village resident, said she had never seen the pond that color before. "It would have been nice for St. Patrick's Day but it was a little odd when it occurred. Hopefully we won't ever see that color again in Town Pond," she said.

The DEC said last year that a fluorescent dye tablet, often used to find leaky pipes, was either dropped in as a joke, or by accident.

Someone who pollutes a body of water faces a misdemeanor charge under the State Pollutant Discharging Elimination System and faces between $3,750 to $37,500 in fines and/or up to one year in prison. The DEC did not actively investigate the case, however.