Error at water pollution control plant blamed for mass fish deaths in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Va. - Roughly 200 fish went belly-up in Northern Virginia overnight.

Officials with the Arlington Department of Environmental Services alerted members of the public to a "fish kill" Wednesday morning. 

They said it happened along Four Mile Run, between Mount Vernon Avenue and Route 1, adding that people should "avoid contact with the water for at least the next 48 hours."

Error at water pollution control plant blamed for mass fish deaths in Arlington. Photo via Arlington County

By early Wednesday evening, the officials had declared Four Mile Run "safe," explaining in a release that "a manual operation error at the County’s Water Pollution Control Plant released higher-than-usual levels of sodium hypochlorite into the waterway." 

The release also said that "a correction was made in less than 90 minutes," and there is no ongoing threat to Four Mile Run.

Error at water pollution control plant blamed for mass fish deaths in Arlington. Photo via Arlington County

Fish kills aren’t unheard of in Arlington. One official said they deal with one or two per year at the most.

But some people walking in the area Wednesday told Fox 5 they’re still somewhat concerned.

"I see people fishing on the water too, so, I’m not sure if they’re eating the fish that they catch," said Mitzi Parnentier, "but I certainly wouldn’t want to after knowing that."

As a result of the fish kill, officials at the Water Pollution Control Plant are expected to "review and refine" procedures alongside the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.