Update at 4:15 p.m. Jan. 31: The Hawai‘i Department of Health has canceled the high bacteria notification for the Onekahakaha Beach swimming area in Hilo. Water sample retesting results show that enterococci levels no longer exceed the threshold level.
Original post: The Hawai‘i Department of Health is notifying the public about a high bacteria count at a Big Island beach.
The department is retesting waters at the Onekahakaha Beach swimming area in Hilo after bacteria levels of 2,005 per 100 mL were detected during routine beach monitoring.
The Health Department is uncertain about the representativeness of the first sample, as the beach has historically met the acceptable threshold level and there is no known source of fecal contamination.
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Therefore, another sample was collected and the Health Department is retesting the site.
The department will update the notification based on the results of the retesting.
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