Tile Drain Outlets

 

Many residential tile drain outlets around the watershed may appear to have a blackish-green substance "spilling" into road ditches. The Inspection and Protection Division collected samples from several outlets and submitted them for laboratory testing at Upstate Freshwater Institute in Syracuse, NY.

 

The substance was determined to be Vaucheria, a common form of algae. Vaucheria typically forms dark green felt-like mats in areas with low water flow, or that are consistently damp, much like tile drain outlets (see photos below). While Vaucheria may be found in areas with poor water quality, it is not necessarily an indicator of water pollution.