Update: State health department cancels high bacteria count notification for Richardson Ocean Park

5 p.m. Oct. 16 update: The Hawai‘i State Department of Health has canceled the notification for Richardson Ocean Center on Hawai‘i Island.

Water sample retesting results show that enterococci levels no longer exceed the threshold level.

Original post: The Hawai‘i Department of Health has issued a high bacteria count notification for Richardson Ocean Park in the Keaukaha area of Hilo.

The department is retesting waters at the park because of uncertainty about the representativeness of a first sample after finding bacteria levels of of 591 per 100 mL during routine beach monitoring.

This beach has historically met the acceptable threshold level, and there is no known source of fecal contamination.

The state Health Department will update the notification based on retesting.

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