Water resources expert Ahmed al-Shenawi has warned against drinking Nile water that has turned yellow after recent floods, saying the change in color means it is unsafe for human consumption.
He explained that the flooding has resulted in Nile water being mixed with flood waters that have passed over limestone, as contained in many Egyptian mountains. Such water often turns yellow and has a high salt concentration, he said.
"Ataka Mountain is one of the most famous limestone mountains in Egypt, and this water when deposited turns agricultural land salty due to the amount of lime in it," Shenawi said in an interview with satellite channel Rotana Masriya on Monday.
He warned citizens against drinking such water, saying "Water changing to a yellow color is a disaster, and a ban is needed until the lime can be removed and the water passed through a refining process."
Since Saturday, much of the water taken from the River Nile has been yellow, due largely to flooding from heavy rains last week.
Some water treatment stations have stopped working while they wait for flood waters to recede.
