This selection has a lovely ocean-like scent with hints of fish and trash water.
The mystery of a massive flood that poured through a ceiling in Midtown Queens earlier this month was solved by a brave maintenance worker who was able to check the water's flow, authorities said.
The crew member, who has not been named, became a saltwater sommelier after smelling the salty, briny smell of the water, which indicated it was coming from the East River and not a burst water main.
“The reason we decided it was salt is because somebody tasted it,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels president Cathy Sheridan. He said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“Delicious, delicious,” MTA Chairman Jano Lieber replied.
An anonymous taster solved the mystery around 10 a.m. on Sept. 4, two hours after the leak occurred in the south corridor on the Queens side.
Sheridan said Wednesday that maintenance workers on the scene first spotted the unusual flow of water and after a thorough investigation found it was caused by a 2.5-inch hole in an exhaust duct.
Officials previously said a city-funded private contractor accidentally caused the damage while excavating the tunnel's cast iron liner to locate pylons for the proposed East River Greenway.
Horrifying video of the massive leak shows cars driving down the walkway as water pours out of the square opening.
Authorities closed the busy tunnel for several hours, causing traffic jams that continued even after the hole was patched and the road reopened.
It is still unknown how much water has flowed in during that time, and it will likely remain unknown for the foreseeable future.
“We didn't calculate how much water was coming in. That wasn't our focus. We were focused on solving the problem,” Sheridan said.
