Residents in Newtown saw the river take on the strange hue on Saturday (August 9), with reports online saying one person had reported a smell of sewage. The River Severn Custodians Blog on Facebook reported the discolouration near Halfpenny Bridge in Newtown, describing the water as "opaque, murky brown colour". The group has reported the incident to Natural Resources Wales, and they will send someone now to try to find the source. They told the County Times: "I looked down on the river on Saturday while crossing the bridge and noticed the colour was off. Natural Resources Wales has been approached for comment.