New Jersey 'Blood Red' River Ignites Theories and Concern

Newsweek

4 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A YouTube video from April sparked concerns about the end times on TikTok, as viewers wondered why the Passaic River in New Jersey appeared to be red.
YouTuber Two Feet Outdoors posted a video on April 17 in which he paddled the Passaic, calling it "one of the most polluted rivers in the United States."
About halfway through, as he passed the Newark Asphalt Corporation on the north side of Newark, the water became a deep red.
"I'm paddling currently through red water," he said, lifting his paddle out to demonstrate.
"Look at that. You can see in the splash that water is red. That is wild. [...]
"It looks like fruit punch."
File photo: Sun sets by the Passaic River after a large rainstorm in Paterson, New Jersey on December 18, 2023.
File photo: Sun sets by the Passaic River after a large rainstorm in Paterson, New Jersey on December 18, 2023.
Photo byIn an email to Newsweek, Two Feet Outdoors—who asked to be identified by only his first name, Matt—said he wasn't concerned about his own well-being in his limited exposure to the water, but he was concerned for the health of the river and the wildlife living in it.
"I've been to a lot of dirty rivers, but nothing looked quite like that," Matt told Newsweek.
A Dirty History
The Lower Passaic River has a history of pollution that stretches back into the 1950s.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the river was polluted by byproducts from the chemical herbicide Agent Orange—a substance best known for its use by the American military in the Vietnam War.
The toxic byproduct released into the river was called "TCDD," known for causing cancer in humans and deformities in animals.
As Matt paddled through the red water, he spotted a pair of Canada geese that flew away at the sight of him.
"Look at that," he marveled, "They're splashing red water."
Industrial contamination has also been a massive problem in the Passaic: According to the NOAA, more than 70 facilities located along the banks of the river have released contaminants into the water including pesticides, heavy metals and more.
'Are we currently living in Biblical times?'
More conspiratorial TikTok users, however, saw the red water as an ominous sign.
"Are we currently living in Biblical times?" user joed69 asked rhetorically, showing clips of Two Feet Outdoors' video.
The user, along with numerous highly upvoted commentators, were referencing Revelations 16 in the New Testament, in which the Apostle John—describing a vision he received from God—wrote that he heard a loud voice sending seven angels out to pour out seven bowls of God's wrath on the Earth.
"The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood," John wrote in verses four and five.
"Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: 'You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."
A Pipe Leak
The red water, however, was not blood.
After seeing Two Feet Outdoors' video in April, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducted an investigation.
A spokesperson for the DEP told Newsweek that they determined there was a blocked sewage main around Safer Textiles—a textile processing mill along the Passaic near where Matt was paddling.
According to the DEP, Safer Textiles dyes fabric and discharges its wastewater into the Newark sewage collection system for treatment, but the blocked sewage main caused sewage to back up and spill over into Newark's stormwater collection system, which discharged into the Passaic.
The waste water was red when it discharged.
The DEP clarified that Safer Textiles was properly disposing of its wastewater. When the Newark Sewer Department cleared the blockage, the issue resolved. According to the DEP, they are continuing to investigate that region of the river and sewage system.
'Cities need to do better'
Matt said the department contacted him with an explanation.
"I was very impressed with the response by the New Jersey [DEP]," Matt said.
"They reached out to me before I was able to reach out to them. They took quick action and I was very pleased with how they handled it."
Still, Matt told Newsweek that sewers are often a problem when he kayaks through New Jersey and New York in particular.
"Routinely, raw sewage and often trash that gets flushed, is pumped into our waterways after major rain events through combined sewer overflows," Matt said.
"The cities need to do better when it comes to waste water management to be able to handle this. Our waterways deserve better."