A decrease in the alkaline level in the diving well Tuesday afternoon led to the green color, organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada said. He added that the pool for water polo and synchronized swimming is being affected in the same way but "we expect the color to be back to blue very shortly."
A U.S. pool expert said that might not be so easy: "Once you get behind, it gets hard to get back in front of it," said Jerry Wallace, chairman of the California Pool & Spa Association, a trade group.
Rio organizers insisted the athletes weren't at risk in the green pools. (Online edition)
According to a statement by FINA, the world aquatics federation, the reason for the unusual color was "that the water tanks ran out of some of the chemicals used in the water treatment process. As a result, the pH level of the water was outside the usual range, causing the discoloration." The Rio 2016 organizing committee said they have begun treating the pools and "we anticipate the color will return to normal very shortly."
As for the green water, Dorman and Hixon [the US silver medal winners] said they had no problem with it. In fact, it was easier to see than blue water, which sometimes blends with the sky. (Morning hard copy edition)
