Ohio creek turns red from pig manure. Ohio EPA steps in. What's being done about it?

This creek in Wyandot County, Ohio, roughly 80 miles northwest of Columbus, has turned a bright shade of red.

“It’s like red blood running through there," Tim Vaughn, a resident of the Village of Carey, which is near the creek, told WTOL TV-11 out of Toledo.

The creek isn't usually red, and though the color may look like blood, the cause is something much more disgusting — pig manure.

According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, an equipment malfunction at a nearby hog farm caused the discharge of liquid fertilizer from a manure lagoon into the creek, known as Poverty Run.

The farm hired a contractor to clean up the manure spill, and the Ohio EPA is overseeing the project. Here's what we know.

Ohio EPA gives update on Poverty Run manure spill in Wyandot County

According to an Aug. 14 Facebook post from the Ohio EPA, the agency will oversee the Poverty Run cleanup until the issue is resolved.

The post goes on to mention that Poverty Run is not a source of drinking water, and there have been no known impacts on wildlife from the manure discharge. The water color is the result of bacteria common in manure lagoons, and is an indication that the lagoon is working properly.

Wyandot County health officials encourage well testing for possible water contamination

Meanwhile, Wyandot County Public Health is encouraging people who live near Poverty Run to have their wells tested for potential water contamination.

Wells at the greatest risk for contamination are the ones closest to Poverty Run, as well as shallow wells in the vicinity of the creek from the areas of Poverty Run Road in the north and Ohio 103 in the south. Those in the affected area will not be charged for a well water sample.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio creek turns red from liquid pig manure. What's happening now?