Spring Water in Gunung Sindur Bogor Suddenly Turns Red, Environment Agency Suspects Cloth Dye

BOGOR, KOMPAS.com - The Bogor Regency government is investigating a spring in Kampung Kaleo, Cibadung Village, Gunung Sindur District, Bogor Regency, that suddenly turned red, attracting the attention of local residents.

This phenomenon went viral on Sunday (20/9/2026).

The Bogor Regency Environment Agency (DLH) team suspects that the red color resulted from dye pigments from cloth being washed nearby.

Teuku Mulya, head of the DLH Bogor Regency, said that officers visited the site after receiving reports about the water’s color change.

However, when the officers arrived, the red coloration was no longer visible.

"We got a report yesterday, went to the field, and by the afternoon the color was gone. It seems to be caused by cloth dye; there were piles of dye there, cloth washing, colored cloth, so the water changed color," Teuku said in a phone interview on Monday (21/9/2026).

Teuku said DLH has not confirmed the exact source of the red coloration.

The initial assumption points to local residents washing colored cloth near the spring.

It is suspected that pigment from the cloth faded and mixed with the water, making it appear reddish.

Returned to Normal

He said the color change occurred over a short period.

When officers checked, the water’s condition had already returned to normal and was now clear again.

Teuku added that DLH is still investigating the phenomenon to determine the precise cause.

"We are still looking into it because now it is no longer there; by the afternoon it was gone. The coloration was just temporary," he said.

Previously, the spring caught residents' attention after the normally clear water suddenly turned reddish.

Many residents came to see it and some collected the water in mineral water gallon containers.

In videos circulating on social media, some residents were also seen bathing in the pool of water.

Some locals associated the color change with myths about the presence of a red garnet stone near the spring.

Teuku urged residents not to hastily link the water’s coloration to mystical causes.

"Don’t quickly conclude that it’s a miraculous blessing, sacred, or can be purified. The public should better rely on scientific knowledge and understand that this is a normal phenomenon," he concluded.