An all-white, milky substance that suddenly appeared in Hughes Lake in Third Ward Park in Passaic has officials probing the situation.

Mayor Hector Lora tells News 12 that manhole covers were opened, and they confirmed it was flowing into the park from somewhere in Clifton. 

The DEP took tests, and found the substance is inert. It is not a solvent, so not dangerous to people or wildlife but could be a problem for the fish in the pond. It’s possibly a powder used as filtration for swimming pools. The flushing out process took place in the afternoon.  

Dumping any substance or material in a storm drain or manhole is illegal.

The mayor says there are some industrial buildings with large industrial pools on the Passaic border, but exactly where it came from is still under investigation.