Honolulu Beaches Still Nasty From Big Sewer Spill

Crews fix a sewage leak, but sea currents push the mess to Waikiki

By Diana Leone
starbulletin.com

The Waikiki sewer main that ruptured Friday sent more than 20 million gallons of raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal, closing popular beaches and disrupting countless vacations.

City officials said workers were able to shut off the flow of diverted sewage just after 1 p.m.

But in Waikiki, tourists, surfers and other ocean users were still dealing with a disgusting mess after a switch in ocean currents. The mess of waste water, which had been heading out to sea, instead flowed back to some of the state's most popular beaches yesterday.

Normally packed Waikiki beaches were mostly empty. Rainy weather kept many tourists away, and those on the beach were greeted by city signs that warned against swimming, boating and fishing, saying, "Sewage contaminated water. Exposure to water may cause illness."

The city warnings about contaminated water were posted from Magic Island to Fort DeRussy, but the signs were no help to Japanese tourists who do not speak English.

Japanese visitors were seen splashing around in the ocean at Duke Kahanamoku Beach despite signs there. One visitor said he thought the warning was about bad weather.

Japanese-language signs were to be posted this morning, city spokesman Mark Matsunaga said.

Signs warning of sewage-contaminated water near the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hale Koa hotels. State Department of Health officials said water samples from the two nearby beaches showed elevated levels of bacteria. The city had posted warning signs at Magic Island's lagoon earlier in the week.

At Kaiolu Street, where the 42-inch main ruptured Friday during heavy rains, city Director of Environmental Services Eric Takamura estimated last night that the diverted sewage was "over 20 million already."

The temporary sewer line fix involved reinforcing the mended pipe with 30 cubic yards of high-strength concrete. Though temporary, it is expected to hold for several years until a permanent replacement pipe can be built, Takamura said.

Design work on a permanent fix is almost complete, and bids for the $30 million job will be sought by the end of the year, he said. The project was included last year in the city budget.

The lack of a backup line is what forced the city to pump sewage from all of Waikiki and parts of Makiki and Moiliili into the Ala Wai Canal this week, Takamura said. The only alternative would have been sewage backing up into Waikiki buildings, he said.

City and state officials agreed yesterday that the spill was the worst in Oahu history. Before the current incident, the largest single spill had been a 2 million-gallon spill into Mamala Bay during a three-hour break on March 4, 2004, near the city's Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Ralph Goto, head of the city's lifeguard division, said Waikiki Beach has never been closed because of sewage in 25 years.

The beach warning signs went up yesterday after results from water testing Monday showed that the current had changed, bringing some of the effluent back toward shore. Since Friday it had been heading out to the open ocean, so the city had posted only the banks of the Ala Wai Canal and areas surrounding the Ala Wai Boat Harbor.

Bacteria counts in samples taken Tuesday in Waikiki were far above either standard -- ranging from 60,000 CFUs at the Kaiolu Street spill site to more than 150,000 units at the Ala Moana Boulevard bridge into Ala Wai Harbor.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates a likelihood that some people swimming in waters with that level of bacterial contamination will get a gastrointestinal illness, Okubo said.

The EPA estimates that water with 35 CFUs of enterococci would result in an estimated 19 swimmers per 1,000 becoming ill, Watson explained. Hawaii's 7-CFU standard would result in an estimated 10 swimmers per 1,000 getting sick from exposure.

Lizabeth Johnson and her husband are here from Illinois also for a convention. She said she was wary of the contaminated water. She spent the afternoon walking along the shoreline at Fort DeRussy Beach collecting twigs, seaweed and shells, which she intends to turn into art.

"When I get them home, I'm going to put them in hand sanitizer," Johnson said, "and stick my whole body in bleach."

Star-Bulletin reporter Nelson Daranciang and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Honolulu Beaches Still Nasty From Big Sewer Spill

Honolulu Beaches Still Nasty From Big Sewer Spill

The Waikiki sewer main that ruptured Friday sent more than 20 million gallons of raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal, closing popular beaches and disrupting countless vacations.

City officials said workers were able to shut off the flow of diverted sewage just after 1 p.m.

But in Waikiki, tourists, surfers and other ocean users were still dealing with a disgusting mess after a switch in ocean currents. The mess of waste water, which had been heading out to sea, instead flowed back to some of the state's most popular beaches yesterday.

Normally packed Waikiki beaches were mostly empty. Rainy weather kept many tourists away, and those on the beach were greeted by city signs that warned against swimming, boating and fishing, saying, "Sewage contaminated water. Exposure to water may cause illness."

The city warnings about contaminated water were posted from Magic Island to Fort DeRussy, but the signs were no help to Japanese tourists who do not speak English.

Japanese visitors were seen splashing around in the ocean at Duke Kahanamoku Beach despite signs there. One visitor said he thought the warning was about bad weather.

Japanese-language signs were to be posted this morning, city spokesman Mark Matsunaga said.

Signs warning of sewage-contaminated water near the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hale Koa hotels. State Department of Health officials said water samples from the two nearby beaches showed elevated levels of bacteria. The city had posted warning signs at Magic Island's lagoon earlier in the week.

At Kaiolu Street, where the 42-inch main ruptured Friday during heavy rains, city Director of Environmental Services Eric Takamura estimated last night that the diverted sewage was "over 20 million already."

The temporary sewer line fix involved reinforcing the mended pipe with 30 cubic yards of high-strength concrete. Though temporary, it is expected to hold for several years until a permanent replacement pipe can be built, Takamura said.

Design work on a permanent fix is almost complete, and bids for the $30 million job will be sought by the end of the year, he said. The project was included last year in the city budget.

The lack of a backup line is what forced the city to pump sewage from all of Waikiki and parts of Makiki and Moiliili into the Ala Wai Canal this week, Takamura said. The only alternative would have been sewage backing up into Waikiki buildings, he said.

City and state officials agreed yesterday that the spill was the worst in Oahu history. Before the current incident, the largest single spill had been a 2 million-gallon spill into Mamala Bay during a three-hour break on March 4, 2004, near the city's Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Ralph Goto, head of the city's lifeguard division, said Waikiki Beach has never been closed because of sewage in 25 years.

Bacteria counts in samples taken Tuesday in Waikiki were far above either standard -- ranging from 60,000 CFUs at the Kaiolu Street spill site to more than 150,000 units at the Ala Moana Boulevard bridge into Ala Wai Harbor.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates a likelihood that some people swimming in waters with that level of bacterial contamination will get a gastrointestinal illness, Okubo said.

The EPA estimates that water with 35 CFUs of enterococci would result in an estimated 19 swimmers per 1,000 becoming ill, Watson explained. Hawaii's 7-CFU standard would result in an estimated 10 swimmers per 1,000 getting sick from exposure.

Lizabeth Johnson and her husband are here from Illinois also for a convention. She said she was wary of the contaminated water. She spent the afternoon walking along the shoreline at Fort DeRussy Beach collecting twigs, seaweed and shells, which she intends to turn into art.

"When I get them home, I'm going to put them in hand sanitizer," Johnson said, "and stick my whole body in bleach."