Some beaches may reopen
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
State health officials yesterday continued to advise people to stay out of the water at beaches and streams across much of O'ahu because of pollution, but said some areas may be reopened this afternoon.
State health officials are advising people to stay out of the water at these beaches and waterways. For updates, call 586-4309.
Officials also said some homeowners contributed to the problem by using the sewer system to drain their yards during last week's rainstorm.
Areas to avoid
Beaches and streams were made murky by heavy runoff and when rainwater seeped into cracks in sewer pipes, overloading the system and causing sewage spills. State health officials yesterday said initial high bacteria counts from water samples taken Saturday showed that people should steer clear of the water in 11 areas where warning signs remain posted (see box).
Results from water samples taken yesterday may give the green light for some areas to be reopened today.
But city spokeswoman Carol Costa said engineers indicated it may be several days before warning signs come down at Kailua and Waimanalo beaches. She said daily water quality testing will continue.
Libby Stoddard, an environmental engineer with the state's Clean Water Branch, also warned people to stay out of water in neighborhoods where there was likely sewage overflow from manholes, cesspools or sewer systems during the heavy rains.
Those areas of caution are the coastal areas of Wai'anae, much of the North Shore and Windward O'ahu from La'ie to Kahalu'u. Signs were not posted there because pollution did not reach the warning level.
Stoddard said some Honolulu beaches are cleared for swimming. Those fall in the Diamond Head to Point Panic areas, including Waikiki and Ala Moana, and also Sandy Beach and Hanauma Bay.
She said the sewer system actually functioned well but couldn't handle the infiltration from that much rain. "It's only designed to take the sewage," she said.
Stoddard said some residents made the problem worse when they opened the sewer clean-out caps in their yards to drain flooded areas. She said officials saw people removing the clean-out caps with the characteristic square head, and said the huge volumes of water flowing in the sewer system couldn't have been caused simply by rain seeping into pipes and manhole covers.
For example, she said, the Kailua Heights wastewater pumping station had double its usual volume at 2 a.m. Saturday.
Stoddard said that people can help to steer clear of health risks by avoiding murky water, which is likely to be high in bacteria even if there are no sewage spills. "If you go in to your knees and you can't see your toes," there's probably a problem, she said.
Runoff from neighborhoods and roads also pollutes streams and nearshore waters, she said. For example, Stoddard said the water quality is consistently so poor in Nu'uanu and Kalihi streams that the Health Department has permanent signs posted that warn people away from the waterways.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
