Ok, so: Buxton blue lagoon

[Frownette]

Press are reporting nasty police dyed it black to stop people going there.

Elsewhere we're told it's dyed every year to stop people swimming there as the water is toxic.

¿Que?

I think it's a sensible thing to do given the deaths and danger there. I doubt very much the police would use anything toxic.
They have a gargantuan task on their hands this summer and if it deters and fuckwits from risking their lives and others, and deters gatherings, then do it

No, it's been done for years.

www.atlasobscura.com/places/blue-lagoon-of-buxton

The impact is the same - the water is black, it's not appealing and so people don't go. It happens with similar places all over the country because every year people visit when they shouldn't and some die - either drowning, hypothermia or now the added risk of CV.

Is it usually done every year though?

Agree, people need to be deterred.

Police can't win, we have seen what happened at Snowdonia. I think it's a good idea.

Thanks @VettiyaIruken

As for the toxic water, it's toxic when it's blue - it's chemicals that make it that colour. The only places you naturally see water that bright and blue is when it's glacial water and the last time I looked Buxton wasn't noted for it's glacial topography.

Ah ok thanks @blackberrysoup.

Some of the press must have been misled into thinking it was as a response to COVID-19

It's a bit early in the season for open water swimming but it was so hot last week that people might have thought that the water was going to be hot whereas it would be absolutely freezing and pretty dangerous. I can see why the press would thing it was a COVID-19 response as if people are deciding to go for a swim there then they'd be tempted to go in groups and have a picnic and swim, which is marginally (extremely marginally) less stupid than the people who go on their own and get into difficulty with nobody to get help.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-33267461
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) said there were 15 deaths in quarry lakes in the space of two years in the UK. It happens every summer, sadly.

^ would think

Lifelong Buxton person here! Has been dyed for the last few years at least to stop people swimming in it, the chemical levels are similar to that of bleach. It's a disused quarry which is sadly incredibly easy to access, the water coming through the limestone gives it it's chemical. It's absoutley stunning, but only from a distance! No locals I know would ever go near, sadly tourists are drawn to it's beauty. It's full of dead sheep, cars and quite possibly people the dye doesn't seem to last long, by summer it will need doing again or it will be full of people swimming and letting their kids paddle in it.

How dangerous actually is that ph? Am trying to find some actual scientific sources. The articles keep comparing it to bleach, but its pH is significantly lower than bleach, and pH is a logarithmic scale, so 1 point lower means 10 times less alkaline.

I'm an open water swimmer (not right now, due to the lockdown!) and see so many lies peddled by authorities to scare people off of swimming outdoors. Rather than factual education on how to make safe choices. (My local open water has a sign saying danger deep water with an illustration showing a sheer drop from the dam wall. The truth is that it's very shallow by the dam wall, a useful danger sign would instead warn people that they will break their necks if they dive there.)

So I'm inclined to be skeptical. But would love to hear from any scientists.

I think 15 deaths in two years tells us all we need to know. Most casual 'jump into the water on a hot day' swimmers do not think about or indeed read signs about safely getting into open water swimming.

pH 11.3 is still a relatively strong alkaline is it not? Plus chemicals can be poisonous for reasons other than alkali strength.

15 deaths in quarry lakes in the whole UK! Not in that one lake. And no suggestion that any of the deaths are anything to do with pH.

Our local open water swimming lake have just put blue dye in to stop algae growth. It blocks the sunlight. They do it every year.

There's still misconception about it being dyed, Lord Sumption did his speech about police being heavy handed yesterday and mentioned Buxton.

It’s definitely been dyed for a few years. (Local here who grew up on the stories of the body in the lake).

To be honest, if you want to swim in anything that colour you deserve all you get. It doesn’t look ‘pretty’, it looks poisonous.

It’s been dyed black for years to stop people swimming in it, the acidity causes nasty rashes and other health problems.
They’ve dyed it again now partly to stop people flocking there for the photos.

See the original police post requesting people not to go here:

www.facebook.com/BuxtonSNT/posts/854390878357367

I's clear the dye is in relation to deterring people out at tourist locations due to Covid 19.

My grandad worked for in the quarry from just before WWII until he retired in the 70s. Calcium oxide used as part of the quarrying process has left the water with a PH of 11.3 and turned it blue. Then factor in the extremely cold deep water alongside sheep carcasses, old cars, motor bikes and other hazards. It has been died black by the council since 2013.