An Austin, Texas, resident was left fuming after discovering a vile smell emanating from a nearby creek and finding the water had turned an odd color.
In a Reddit thread posted to r/Austin, the resident shared a concerning clip of the creek.
(Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
"I was working in my yard and smelled sewage. Walked over to the little creek behind our house and it looks like this," the resident wrote.
The original poster mentioned they'd called the non-emergency service line to report it, but they wanted to know if there was any more immediate action that could be taken.
The top comment advised them to call Texas' Commission on Environmental Quality to report the spill.
Another offered to help get to the bottom of the problem: "I have time to walk this entire f****** thing until I see what it is."
The sleuths in the comments deduced that it was most likely to be runoff from a nearby construction site upstream.
Construction has an outsized environmental impact, with the UN's Environment Programme noting that the industry accounts for 37% of all harmful emissions, the most of any sector.
Construction and demolition debris is twice as prevalent in the United States as solid municipal waste. Typical pollutants that can enter waterways include sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen, oil and grease, and other chemicals used in construction.
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Majorly 😥 Waterways, even those as small as this stream, need to be protected. They are a vital resource for wildlife, either as a habitat or drinking water, that benefits our ecosystems, and they can be crucial for supporting agriculture.
In an update to the post, the OP wrote, "Had an excellent chat with a staff member with Austin Water. Pretty sure we know the culprit and this should be addressed!"
While there seems to have been a positive ending here, the best way to ensure similar issues are addressed in your region is to vote in pro-climate political candidates whose influence on regulations can hold bad actors accountable.
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