Sewage discharged into the Niagara River

About 14 million tourists take in The Falls every year. The views are breathtaking and people from all over the world come to see it, but this past weekend visitors were in for a surprise as a wastewater treatment plant unloaded sewage right into the Niagara River turning the water near the base of The Falls black.

The discharge happened near the Maid of the Mist attraction on the U.S. side of The Falls.

It took several hours before the smell and discharge dissipated.

According to the Niagara Falls Water Board “the substance discharged is a result of the routine maintenance of one of the water board’s wastewater sedimentation basins.”

It says the plant does this twice a year and says the black coloured water contained accumulated solids and carbon residue and everything released was within permitted limits.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says it is investigating, while the Niagara Parks Commission says it is following up to assess the impact on the environment.