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Waianae well pump shut down after E. coli found

The Board of Water Supply issued notice Friday that a well pump serving a Waianae neighborhood has been shut down after testing positive for E. coli bacteria.

The Kamaile Well Pump No. 2 serves the area from Ala Hema Street up to Keaau Beach Park.

“The water from this source is safe to drink because it is continuously disinfected before it reaches customers,” said the BWS in a press release. “For this reason, no further action is required by customers.”

The BWS is providing public notice as required under federal law and said the well was shut down out of an abundance of caution.

The BWS detected coliform bacteria in a routine water sample collected from Keaau Beach Park on Monday, following up by taking a sample from Kamaile Well Pump No. 2 Tuesday, which tested positive for E. coli.

Another five samples from the well were collected Wednesday, when the well was shut down, and test results that came back on Thursday showed positive for E. coli. The E. coli testing requires 24 hours to complete.

E. coli is an indicator that water may be contaminated with human or animal waste, which can cause short-term health effects, including diarrhea, headaches and other symptoms.

For more information contact the BWS Water Quality Division at 748-5080 or the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

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