I probably have run past the North Branch of the Chicago River over a thousand times since I moved into the area. So during a Presidents' Day run, I of course noticed an unnatural white discharge pouring from a storm sewer into the river just north of the Touhy Avenue bridge.

Being a full-time blogger, I carry my digital camera and my video camera whenever I can--so I was able to capture this unpleasant moment. 

What was that stuff?

"It looks like someone poured some white--or very light--latex paint into an upstream storm sewer," a representative from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District informed me in a voice mail message. I called their tip line a call of days earlier.

But it rained Tuesday morning--so the MWRD investigators were unable to pinpoint where the paint was dumped. 

Five years ago--I never found out what it was that time--I saw another discharge of a white fluid into the river at the same location.

If you see anything suspicious being poured into our rivers or streams, call the MWRD at (800) 332-DUMP. This is our water.