Hawaii is home to several beaches with chronic water pollution issues, according to the latest report from the Surf rider Foundation.
The nonprofit found that stream mouths, beaches with freshwater outlets, and bays without much circulation typically have higher bacteria levels.
The same waterways that have been troubled in past years, such as Kahaluu on Oahu and the Nawiliwili Stream Mouth on Kauai, are still areas of concern.
“In general, we have a very repeatable trend showing that some of our beaches are chronically polluted,” said Arleen Velasco, Oahu Blue Water co-coordinator. “And they’re not getting any better.”
Last year, trained volunteers from Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force sampled and tested 65 sites throughout the islands of Kauai, Maui, and Oahu for the presence of enterococcus, an indicator of fecal bacteria. No testing was conducted on Hawaii island.
When levels of enterococci are elevated, then the likelihood of fecal material in water is higher, along with the presence of disease-causing pathogens that can sicken swimmers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set this threshold at 130 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water.
Chronic pollution In 2023, there were seven sites on Oahu and seven sites on Kauai where half of the samples exceeded state health standards, according to the report.
On Oahu, the seven sites were Kaupuni Stream, Waiahole Beach Park, the “Chocolates” surf break at Haleiwa Beach Park, Heeia Stream, Hakipuu Boat Ramp, Kuli ouou Stream and Kahaluu.
Kahaluu once again topped the list for exceedances, at 89 % in 2023. Surf rider has been testing at Kahaluu since 2018, and says University of Hawaii research indicates the likely contributor is wastewater from cesspools.