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Question: We are visitors who caught the tail end of a report about brown water at a beach we had planned to visit. What does that mean exactly? Is it a euphemism for something worse than the color of the water?
Answer: A brown-water advisory refers to water color and quality. It is a signal of, not a euphemism for, potential contamination, usually after heavy rain that causes storm runoff into coastal waters. If the water is turbid and brown, stay out.
Coastal waters can become polluted from floodwaters and stormwater runoff potentially tainted by “overflowing cesspools, sewers, manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals and associated flood debris,” according to past brown-water advisories issued by the state Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch.
Such an advisory to stay out of specified waters usually is issued at the recommendation of the branch staff or when the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning.
Not all coastal areas might be affected by runoff during a storm. However, “if the water is brown, stay out,” the branch says on its website. “Continue to practice good personal hygiene and follow up with your primary care physician if you have any health concerns.”
Hawaii residents and visitors can sign up for email alerts about brown-water advisories and other problems. Subscribe online at the CWB’s environmental health portal, 808ne.ws/cwbadv.
Q: I am sympathetic to people who are living out of their cars, but I’ve witnessed something a few times that I’ve never seen Kokua Line write about. This complaint might seem minor, but the behavior is dangerous, especially to us bicyclists. There are guys who leave their car doors open into oncoming traffic. They don’t just have the windows down; the doors are open. I guess they are airing out their vehicles or making more legroom to stretch out, but it’s dangerous.
A: It’s also illegal. Per Chapter 291C-125 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, “No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with, or causing immediate hazard to the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.”
Although you are correct that we’ve never received this complaint before, we can see that a door left open for much longer than it takes to load or unload the car poses an obvious risk to other vehicles traveling in the nearest lane, whether they be four-wheeled or two-wheeled.
Q: I would like more information about the recycling scheduled for Saturday at Castle High School, which you wrote about Wednesday (808ne.ws/13kline). Will they have shredding?
A: No. This upcoming event is part of the Going Green community recycling program, which does not accept documents for shredding except in special instances publicized in advance.
Auwe
Auwe to the person who purchases one soda from a fast-food place and then uses his own mugs to get more soda. He should just pay for it. — A reader
Mahalo
Thank you to the kind young lady who offered me use of her cane when my leg gave out in the parking lot of Kaimuki Longs Drugs on Friday. Your kindness is much appreciated. — G.N.
Mahalo
I would like to thank our anonymous angel who paid for our dinner at the ramen shop in Mililani Mauka. I was not able to understand what our waiter was telling us until our generous donor had left. Mahalo and God bless! — G.H.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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