GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — City of Greensboro Stormwater officials said cleanup is underway Friday after a cleaning solution spilled into a Greensboro creek. 

“It smelled really strong like chemicals,” said Samuel Cruz, who saw the murky water in the park Thursday evening. “It was concerning the moment I saw it.” 

He snapped a photo of the opaque water before calling city crews.  

“Just seeing how white it was. It wasn’t like a stain like when something goes into the water just a little bit, and it kind of flushes out and dilutes. This was not diluted. This was like really chalky white,” he said Friday. 

Greensboro firefighters, hazmat and city crews responded to track the source of the contamination and put in a device called a boom in the stream to filter out possible petroleum product. 

“I know people think it’s like ‘Aw man, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a creek or it’s a little bit of water,’ but sometimes this stuff has to be taken seriously,” Cruz said. 

A stormwater official confirmed to FOX8 that they traced the cleaning solution to an unnamed business. The owners are cooperating with the cleanup. 

Environmental cleanup crews used hoses to siphon out parts of the creek near a man-made dam on Friday afternoon. 

The city has not issued any fines or penalties, but a spokesperson said he anticipated enforcement action. 

“Something small like that travels through, and it always does impact like the hatchery, the environment or fish or the fishery connected to it just like the wildlife,” Cruz said. 

It’s not clear how much of the solution spilled into the water.