Human error the cause of raw sewage contaminating water at Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls Water Board has confirmed human error is to blame for a sewage dump into the base of Niagara Falls.

In a statement from the board in Niagara Falls, New York, they said a worker was monitoring the sewage when they were called away from the wastewater treatment plant.

When he returned he saw that the out-flow from the basin he was previously watching had grown darker in colour to black.

The latest statement from the board comes after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said the discharge violated state water quality standards.

The material discharged is listed in the report as “raw sewage”. A previous statement clarified that the “inky water” was the result of residue from black carbon filters used to clean the water.