Why was a Toronto sinkhole gurgling neon green liquid?

By Michael Talbot

Was it a teenage mutant ninja turtle portal? A vomitus mass of nuclear waste?

In 2020 — a year filled with head-scratching headlines — such considerations couldn’t immediately be ruled out.

But it turns out there was a much more down-to-earth explanation for the neon green liquid gurgling in a Leslieville sinkhole.

According to Toronto Water, the sinkhole on Hastings Avenue just off Gerrard Street East was filled with a green non-toxic dye in order to determine if it’s connected to the underlying sewer.

Toronto Water said the dye is “added to the sinkhole while monitoring the closest manhole downstream to look for traces of the dye in the sewer. This is why the water in the sinkhole appears to be green.”

Repairs will begin once the source of the sinkhole is confirmed.

Cowabunga!

Neon green dye in a Toronto sinkhole. @Citygiancarlo/Twitter

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