On Wednesday, a vivid emerald hue swept through the stream at Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island, prompting comparisons to Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day dye. City workers later confirmed the color came from a deliberate flush test conducted by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to trace sewage from park restrooms into the waterway for public health.

Investigators discovered that a handful of toilets in a 1930s maintenance building discharge directly into a storm drain feeding the creek and an adjacent lake, bypassing the sanitary sewer network. The park’s septic tank, serving one toilet, has not been inspected recently, and city officials could not locate it on site. Residents have long complained that untreated waste contaminates the area’s ponds and wildlife.

City agencies responded by halting water use in the building and deploying crews to clear the green sludge, while the Parks Department was tasked with connecting the restrooms to the proper sewer system or upgrading septic capacity. The episode underscores infrastructure gaps that cost taxpayers and raise liability for the city, prompting calls for equitable investment across all boroughs.