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Kauai is under a brown water advisory as heavy storm water continues to flow from Waimea, Nawiliwili and Hanalei, state Department of Health officials announced Sunday.
The public is advised to stay out of flood waters and storm water runoff due to possible overflowing cesspools, sewer manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals, and associated flood debris. If coastal waters are turbid and brown, stay out.
Storm runoff is blamed for a discharged of up to 300,000 gallons of treated effluent from the Waimea Waste Water Treatment Plant into Kikiaola Harbor along the western seawall.
Effluent is normally discharged into an irrigation ditch, but officials said it had to be released from the reservoir to prevent flooding from heavy rain.
Warning signs will be posted and water samples collected in the area, DOH said, and the public is advised to stay out of harbor waters until bacteria levels return to normal.
An overflowing manhole Sunday morning at the intersection of Kaumuali’i Highway and ‘Ele’ele Road caused about 2,000 gallons of sewage and storm water run off to flow into Hanapepe Valley for roughly 20 minutes from 7:25 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., officials said.
