KAILUA-KONA — Kailua Bay is reopen after a ruptured sewer line earlier this week closed the area to all water activities.
KAILUA-KONA — Kailua Bay is reopen after a ruptured sewer line earlier this week closed the area to all water activities.
After testing several water samples, the state Department of Health determined the water in the bay was safe, officials announced Thursday.
“The Department of Health reviewed the most recent sample test results and found that all sample points were well below state standards for contamination,” said county Department of Environmental Management Director Bill Kucharski in a press release.
The untreated wastewater entered the bay Monday at the shoreline near Alii Drive and Palani Road in front of the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.
The leak shut down water activities from Kamakahonu Beach to Hulihe‘e Palace to 1,000 feet offshore.
County crews had to dig up the road to locate the pipe and assess the damage. Kucharski said the 55-year-old, 6-inch cast iron pipe ruptured because of corrosion.
The leak led Mayor Harry Kim and his administration to look into replacing the aging infrastructure, something that could cost millions of dollars.