TORONTO -- Olympic spectators have been alarmed by the murky, green water in the diving pool in Rio de Janeiro, but the international governing body for aquatics says the water doesn't pose a safety concern.
A statement from FINA says water tanks ran out of one of the water treatment chemicals, causing pH levels outside the normal range.
After water quality tests, the organization says the pool's discolouration doesn't pose a health risk to the athletes and it shouldn't affect competition.
But the water polo pool, next to the diving well in the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre, also began to turn green on Wednesday.
Ontario company Sustainable Aquatic Systems helped install many of the Olympic pools in Rio de Janeiro. The diving pool in the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre wasn't one of them, according to company vice president Andrew Tiffany, because it was in an existing facility, originally built for the 2007 Pan American Games.
"It is a nice facility, it's just a little outdated, and that goes for the pool and filtration system," he said. "It's nothing that would be unsafe, but definitely not like the systems we put in for their aquatics centre and everything, which are all state of the art."
Tiffany said a pool maintenance person from his company is in Rio, and was consulted on what was happening in the pool. He said he expected the water to be back to normal soon.
"It's the heat and the sun and everything, combined with those pH levels rising," he said. "The water goes out of balance and gets that green tint to it."
Canadian pool experts say strangely coloured water is a common problem.
Alex Patlashenko, owner of Toronto pool maintenance company Swim Clean Pool Service, says green water is most often caused by algae.
Patlashenko said that issue can be fixed by "shocking the water" with higher chlorine levels than normal to clear it up.
Pool and Hot Tub Council of Canada executive director Rob Wood says a "chemical imbalance" can cause pool water to change colours, but it's typically easy to clear up.
