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Residents warned to stay out of brown water on Oahu

A brown water advisory issued earlier in the day for Waimea Bay has been expanded to include all of Oahu after a weekend of heavy rains.

The Department of Health said storm water runoff could contain contaminants from overflowing cesspools, sewer manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals and flood debris.

If the water is brown, stay out, officials from the Clean Water Branch said.

Earlier in the day, the Department of Health issued a brown water advisory for Waimea Bay on Oahu, warning beachgoers about the danger of contracting leptospirosis after built-up storm water breached the sand berm at the bay.

“We know of several people contracting leptospirosis while recreating at the discharge site, so stay out,” the Health Department said in a written news release.

For more information on leptospirosis, the Health Department has put a brochure online at: http://health.hawaii.gov/about/files/2013/06/leptobrochure.pdf

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