Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area closed for water main repairs

A popular South Kohala beach park is closed due to water main repairs until early November.

Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area, including its A-frame cabins, has been closed since Oct. 8 due to waterline breaks that have left no water source for the restrooms and showers. According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources State Parks Division, portable toilets are being brought in, and once in place, the park will reopen.

The park has been plagued with numerous water main breaks throughout the past few years. In an email to Big Island Now, DLNR stated previous waterline material used was not as durable as anticipated.

To address the most recent issue, DLNR will replace and install 80 feet of 4-inch diameter Driscoll pipe, and install coupling with electric fusing. The work also includes adding material for bedding, compact and backfill to existing topsoil and asphalt.

The repairs are estimated to cost $10,000.

In May, Gov. David Ige released $3.2 million in capital improvement project funding to do a full waterline replacement for the upcoming year, allowing State Parks to do a complete overhaul of the water system with more durable materials and provide a consistent water supply. Money used to address the most recent broken water main is coming out of the CIP funding.

Hāpuna Beach was named the No. 1 beach in the U.S. in 2021 by Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach. A professor at Miami’s Florida International University, Leatherman has produced the Top 10 list since 1991.