NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — New York state officials say they're investigating a possible wastewater discharge near Niagara Falls similar to one last month that turned the water below the world-famous attraction black and smelly.

The Department of Environmental Conservation announced Tuesday evening that its staff responded to a call earlier in the day reporting discolored water near the Maid of the Mist dock on the American side of the falls.

DEC officials say heavy rain was reported in the area and may have caused a discharge from a local wastewater treatment plant operated by the Niagara Falls Water Board. The water board blamed the overflow on the heavy rain.

The water board is under investigation for a July 29 discharge of wastewater into the Niagara River below the falls, turning the water black as tourists looked on.

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