KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaii Department of Health Clean Water Branch issued a beach advisory for Kona Coast Beach Park Tuesday, citing elevated levels of enterococci bacteria in the water.
KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaii Department of Health Clean Water Branch issued a beach advisory for Kona Coast Beach Park Tuesday, citing elevated levels of enterococci bacteria in the water.
The park is also known as Kekaha Kai State Park.
The standard for enterococci set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 130 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters. On March 2, the most recent data sampling available, water taken off the shore of Mahaiula Beach on the park’s south side registered a bacteria level of 384 units per 100 milliliters.
Levels measured at Kua Bay, which is also part of the park and located on its north side, registered at less than 2.3 units per 100 milliliters, the lowest level measurable.
Wataru Kumagi, environmental health specialist with the Monitoring Analysis Section of the Clean Water Branch, said elevated levels of enterococci tend to show up after heavy rainfall washes waste to coastal areas. There are several sources of enterococci, which include but aren’t limited to the feces of humans and other mammals on Hawaii Island.
“In this tropical climate, enterococci is ubiquitous, so it’s found in sediments, it’s found in soils,” Kumagi said. “A lot of mammals defecate and release enterococci as well, (such as) pigs and small mammals. Anything upstream can come down, especially following heavy rainfall. As the streams are cleared, there’ll be a big influx of that enterococci. But it’s not always indicative of human fecal (matter), which is a higher risk.”
Kumagi added that because enterococci is a fecal indicator bacteria, it can be reasonably assumed that with elevated levels of the bacteria come increased risk associated with other contaminants that reach the water via the same source, such as viruses. What those risks depend upon are the source itself.
He said it’s likely the increased bacteria readings at Kona Coast Beach Park are a result of environmental runoff, meaning the risks to swimmers are likely lower than they would be if the source was human fecal matter.
Claude VonStroke, a resident of Texas and a frequent visitor to Hawaii, was about to enter the ocean at the park before he heard the news and changed his mind.
VonStroke said he’s never become ill as a result of swimming in the ocean, either in Hawaii or elsewhere.
“It’s definitely disconcerting,” he said. “There should be some type of sign or postage or something official. Part of the taxes are generated via tourism, so you probably want to make sure those people are healthy and safe at all times. If it’s dangerous, the state should probably look at safety measures — just communication. It wouldn’t kill them to put someone down here.”
Susie Froese has been visiting the Big Island for the last week from Canada and said she’s spent a lot of time ocean side, at locations from Hapuna Beach to Kua Bay.
She spent time in the water at Kona Coast Beach Park Tuesday before learning of the elevated bacteria levels. She said she typically never worries about such issues and won’t go home and stress about it. Still, she said it is something “worth being aware of.”
“For people who have compromised health to begin with, it would be good for them to know,” she said.
The warning notes that contact with water in the Kona Coast Beach Park area may result in illness. Beach and ocean goers are advised to stay away out of the water until samples reflect acceptable bacteria levels, especially if the water appears brown.
Kumagi said common sense practices like avoiding the ocean if you have a cut and rinsing off thoroughly after exiting the water should be practiced at all times.
Kona Coast Beach Park had not been closed as of Tuesday.