Health department warns of bacteria exceedance at Kailua Bay
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Brackish water is seen in the canal leading to Kailua Bay on May 11, 2023, in Kailua.
The state Health Department has issued an alert warning of a bacteria exceedance at Kailua Bay from the Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oahu.
“The public is advised to avoid waters near the City and County of Honolulu Kailua [Regional] Wastewater Treatment Plant’s ocean outfall,” said the alert, “due to a discharge of wastewater that exceeded the daily maximum permitted fecal indicator bacteria level.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses levels of enterococci as indicators of fecal material in water and therefore, the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
The exceedance occurred in a daily sample collected on Tuesday at 8:44 a.m., the city said, with a 24-hour test needed for analysis.
It was taken at the effluent monitoring station within the plant before discharging at the deep ocean outfall — about a mile from the shoreline, 105 feet deep.
The most recent prior, single sample taken on Monday was within permit limitations.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
“The WWTP is currently managing high flows as a result of sequential storm events with extremely heavy rainfall, including using the Kaneohe-Kailua underground sewer tunnel to regulate flow into the WWTP,” said the city in a news release. “These high flows are believed to be the cause of the May 14 high effluent enterococcus sample result.
The city will collect additional daily samples of treated effluent at the plant, and will provide updates based on additional testing results. The city is also testing daily samples from seven shoreline stations near the plant.
Signs will be posted. The public is advised to remain out of affected waters until further notice.
Last year, the city was fined more than $434,000 for discharging effluent exceeding permit limits for enterococci from its wastewater treatment plant on 13 different days. The limits are set by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the state.
The city said after those exceedances that it plans to install an ultra violet disinfection system at its plant, which should be operational on or before December 2025.
Concurrently, the state Health Department still has a brown water advisory for Kailua Beach Park in place. The advisory was issued Monday following heavy rains that resulted in stormwater runoff entering coastal waters.
