A red streak of water discovered last month along the coast of a central Vietnamese province has been found to be the result of organic pollution, according lab results by Vietnam’s environmental watchdog.

The result was announced on Monday afternoon by Hoang Van Thuc, deputy director of the General Department of Environment, who cited a lab test of water samples taken from the affected areas.

The red streak of water first appeared on January 19 near some submerged fish farms in Ha Tinh Province, not far from the steel plant operated by Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group in Vung Ang Economic Zone.

Last year, untreated wastewater from the steel-making complex was found to be responsible for mass fish deaths along Vietnam’s central coast, resulting in the firm paying US$500 million in compensation.

Since the environmental incident, a permanent team of government inspectors has been working to monitor the plant’s operations for three years, according to Thuc.

The team collected samples of the red water for analysis after its appearance, and found that it contained high levels of ammonium, he added.

“On January 25, once the water had ceased to be red, the team collected samples for the second time and found that all indicators had returned to their normal levels,” the official said.

The red streak of water near Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre

An official collects samples of the red water near Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre

According to Thuc, this is not the first time red streaks of water have been reported in the area.

Citing observations by locals, Thuc said the streak was a seasonal phenomenon which usually occurs during the first and twelfth months of the lunar calendar.

Officials also collected samples of seaweed in the area when the red streak reappeared on Saturday, requiring further lab tests to confirm whether the coloration was caused by a phenomenon known as algal bloom, or red tide, Thuc said.

The management of Vung Ang Economic Zone, officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Ha Tinh authorities have also jointly inspected the wastewater discharge system of Formosa’s steel plant and found it to show no abnormality.

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