Column: Recent rains show need to improve water quality monitoring

In the past week, heavy rains have prompted emergency closures of businesses and beach parks, flooded homes and streets, backed up sewer pipes, and overflowed cesspools.The resulting flash floods and heavy stream flows carried dirt and debris down the mountainsides, depositing them into the ocean and turning much of our coastal waters brown. At Kapukaulua (Baldwin Beach Park) on Maui, the rarely flowing Kailua stream broke on Saturday afternoon, sending a torrent of brown water into the ocean. Large plumes of brown water still extend as far east and west as you can see along the coastline.

This brown water comes as a warning for beachgoers to stay out of the water. Mixed with the dirt and sediment that gives the water its brown color are pesticides, trash, bacteria and other pollutants picked up as the water flowed downstream.

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) runs a beach monitoring program and issues advisories when bacteria levels exceed the health standard. HDOH also issues brown water advisories (BWAs) to warn beachgoers of polluted stormwater at the beach during rain and flooded conditions.

The state program, however, leaves public health at risk in many instances. In the current program, for example, brown water advisories are only issued via an online newsletter and media advisories. There are no physical signs posted at the beach warning the public of health risks if you surf, swim or dive in brown water. Surf schools, visitors and community members are oftentimes back in the water before brown water has cleared.

In addition to the lack of signage, the HDOH also suspends all regularly scheduled water quality monitoring during brown water events. It specifically tests for enterococcus, a bacteria that is an indicator of poop from warm- blooded mammals. Popular tier 1 beaches, like Baldwin Beach Park on Maui, Ala Moana Beach Park on Oahu, and Ke‘e Beach on Kauai, are typically sampled weekly. If the water is brown, however, the HDOH sampler will not take a sample and will instead write “brown water — no sample taken” on the data sheet.

By suspending testing during brown water events, HDOH is effectively eliminating data that would measure high bacteria counts in Hawaii coastal waters. This leaves public health at risk and gives us a poor understanding of how badly contaminated the water might be during brown water events. It also falsely inflates data that Hawaii coastal waters are clean. This practice is neither transparent nor in the best interest of public health. Testing during brown water events ensures that we have an accurate understanding of the water quality at our local beaches.

This year, our state policymakers have the opportunity to improve the state’s water quality monitoring program. If passed, Senate Bill 508/House Bill 182 will require the HDOH to:

>> Sample regularly scheduled beaches during brown water events and not skip monitoring when BWAs are issued.

>> Work with partners to post signs at beaches during brown water advisories to provide better warning to unsuspecting beachgoers.

>> Ensure that local beaches receive adequate testing to protect community health and not just popular tourist beaches.

>> Protect public health and the public’s right to know if coastal waters are clean and safe.

Surfrider Foundation has been testing local water quality for years through volunteer-based Blue Water Task Force programs on Kauai, Oahu and Maui. We believe that it is a public right to ensure that our beaches and coastal waters are clean and free from pollution.

Our local keiki, kupuna, ohana and visitors should be able to enjoy surfing, swimming and recreating in the ocean safely.

Lauren Blickley is Hawaii regional manager for Surfrider Foundation.