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Hanauma Bay reopens after testing shows lower bacteria levels in water

BRUCE ASATO / AUG. 24, 2014

Hanauma Bay reopened around noon today after being closed due to high bacteria levels in the water.

City officials announced shortly after noon today that Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is reopening after confirmation from the state that water sample testing results showed bacteria levels no longer exceed advisory levels.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the state Health Department had found during routine monitoring that 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, the department canceled high bacteria advisories for the Ewa end of Ala Moana Beach Park and two beaches near Queen’s Surf in Waikiki. Levels of enterococci at the two Waikiki beaches had been about 10 times the threshold level.

High bacteria advisories for Pokai Bay and the Kohola Lagoon at Ko Olina were canceled on Thursday. A high bacteria advisory for Kahaluu Beach Park posted on Thursday remains in effect.

Results from routine beach monitoring take at least 24 hours to process, officials say.

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The state Clean Water Branch’s updated closure list and maps are available at this link.

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