The ocean waters at Kailua, previously considered a health risk due to the presence of fecal bacteria, are now in the clear, according to state and city officials.
After 13 various days in which effluent samples at the city’s wastewater plant in Kailua showed high levels of enterococcus bacteria — an indicator of fecal material — laboratory tests show they remain well within permit limits.
Kailua Bay has been in the clear since May 5, officials said, and continues to be so based on results from daily monitoring.
“We’re confident it’s not going to happen again,” said Michael O’Keefe, deputy director of the city’s environmental services department.
The city is working hard to identify and resolve the issues that led to the high bacteria levels at the Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, he said, with help from a consultant.
Additionally, the plant has been budgeted $45 million for upgrades, including $11 million for an ultraviolet disinfection system, which should take care of the enterococci issue.
The designs for the system are 95% complete, he said, and should be built by the end of 2025.
“We’re just looking forward to investigating and identifying the cause of this issue, fixing it, and moving beyond,” said O’Keefe, “and continuing a collaborative, working relationship with the Department of Health to resolve this issue and communicate timely and accurate information to the public.”
Clearing the air
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, meanwhile, wanted to clear the air on reports that the city “downplayed” the bacteria levels to the public.
“We did everything that we were supposed to do, the way we’ve done it,” said Blangiardi at a news conference Thursday. “Can we improve on a going-forward basis? Absolutely. But we never downplayed anything to deceive the public and I want that point absolutely clear with everyone.”
Under the terms of its state National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, the city is allowed to discharge treated effluent to a deep ocean outfall about a mile from the shoreline.
Among its many requirements is the monitoring of treated effluent for enterococcus. When levels are over permitted limits, the city must notify DOH, which must in turn alert the public.
In a news conference by DOH on Tuesday, officials said these 13 days exceeding enterococcus limits — between April 8 and May 4 — were extremely worrisome.
The magnitude of the levels was also of concern, DOH said, with levels on two days at over six times the limit.
Dr. Kenneth Fink, DOH director, at Thursday’s news conference said that regardless of the levels, the protocol for informing the public would have been the same.
“City and County of Honolulu complied fully with the permit requirement to notify the DOH of any exceedances of their wastewater testing,” said Fink. “The City and County of Honolulu provided timely and transparent notification of all test results. They went above the permit requirements by issuing news releases and posting advisories along Kailua Bay.”
Although it is not a permit requirement, the city said it issued news releases — 13 in all — notifying the public of the over-limit enterococcus levels. As directed by DOH, the city also posted signs at Kailua Beach informing the public to stay out of waters around the outfall.
Size of signs
Levani Lipton of the Kailua Neighborhood Board said many residents she has spoken to were confused about the signs, as well as whether the ocean was safe.
Lipton, chair of a waterways subcommittee, said there was a huge turnout at the May 11 meeting, and residents generally felt confused about the messaging, including exactly what parts of the bay were affected.
The pollution is multifaceted, she said, with several sources, including cesspools, stormwater runoff and the wastewater treatment plant, all of which warrant investigation.
The signs that were posted, she said, were on flimsy, letter-sized paper, pinned to various entrance signs and tree trunks in a windy environment. She would recommend larger signs of a more permanent kind, particularly since many families seemed unaware of the advisories.
Many residents were also concerned over what seems like the increasing frequency of bacteria limits being breached.
“I know many people who have gotten some type of staph or infection from the water,” said Lipton. “So this is no joke.”
City officials said the priority was to post the signs expediently. Blangiardi, however, said he was not sure if bigger signs would be any more effective.
“I’m not so sure bigger signs create more reading,” he said, adding he felt they provided fair warning. “I’m in favor of making sure we’ve got appropriate signs and and a lot of it … If (people) don’t always read signs, if it’s big or small, what are you going to do? … It’s not the size of the sign.”
City officials said they would continue working with DOH on how to better inform the public of water advisories, including what parts of Kailua Bay are affected.
“Collectively we’re committed to the health and safety of the public and we share that commitment with the City and County of Honolulu,” said Fink. “Everybody’s best interest is providing information. There may be disagreements on what information people would need to make decisions, and we’ll continue to work together to see if there’s opportunities to improve messaging.”
The city’s Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, built in 1965, is already under an EPA order issued in December to address similar pollution violations that occurred in early 2021.
The EPA in 2010 also reached a consent decree with the city, requiring upgrades to its entire wastewater collection sewer system to reduce sewage spills and comply with the Clean Water Act.
This includes major upgrades to the two largest plants — Sand Island and Honouliuli — which must be completed by 2035. As part of upgrades, the city is in the process of installing a UV disinfection system at the Sand Island plant.
