Update: Water advisory canceled at East Hawai‘i beach

8:27 p.m. update Thursday: The Water Quality Advisory for Richardson Ocean Center in Hilo has been canceled. Water sample testing results show that the enterococci levels no longer exceed the threshold level.

Original post: The Hawai‘i State Department of Health is retesting Richardson Ocean Center after high bacteria levels were detected at the East Hawai‘i beach.

Levels of 406 per 100 mL were recorded during routine beach monitoring. The Department of Health is uncertain about the representativeness of the first sample as the beach has historically met the acceptable beach threshold level, and there is no known source of fecal contamination.

The state agency will release the results of the retesting as soon as they’re available.