High bacteria levels keep Hanauma Bay closed; advisories in effect for 2 other beaches
STAR-ADVERTISER / AUG. 2014
A view of Hanauma Bay from the access road that leads to the beach. Hanauma Bay remains closed today due to a high bacteria advisory posted by the state Health Department on Wednesday.
Hanauma Bay remains closed today due to a high bacteria advisory posted by the state Health Department on Wednesday.
City officials said the beach at Hanauma Bay will remain closed today, while access to the upper park and visitor center will remain open.
The state Health Department said during routine monitoring in the morning that staff found levels of enterococci at Hanauma Bay had reached 137 per 100 milliliters, exceeding the threshold level of 130 per 100 milliliters.
At the same time, state health officials also posted high bacteria advisories for two beaches near Queen’s Surf in Waikiki — Public Bath Beach and Kapiolani Park — as well as the Ewa side of Ala Moana Beach Park.
The levels of enterococci detected at the Waikiki beaches were about 10 times the threshold — 1,296 per 100 milliliters at Public Bath Beach and 1,445 per 100 milliliters at Kapiolani Beach.
High bacteria advisories have been canceled for Pokai Bay and the Kohola Lagoon at Ko Olina in Leeward Oahu.
A brown water advisory was also issued Wednesday for Punaluu Beach Park in Windward Oahu.
Signs are posted at the affected beaches. Results from routine beach monitoring take at least 24 hours to process. A full list, maps, and updates are available at this link.
