Shoreline advisory canceled less than week after wastewater spill at Pāpaʻikou treatment plant

Hawaiʻi County Department of Environmental Management notifies the public that a shoreline advisory originally issued less than a week ago was canceled.

The advisory was issued Feb. 12 for the area between Lyman Bay (Mill Beach) and Waipahi Point following a malfunction of the disinfection system at Pāpaʻikou Wastewater Treatment Plant. That malfunction resulted in discharge of up to 98,300 gallons of fully treated, insufficiently disinfected wastewater via the facility’s existing outfall located at the shoreline.

Subsequent water quality sampling and laboratory analysis confirmed that bacterial levels in the affected shoreline area are within acceptable Hawaiʻi Department of Health standards.

The state Health Department subsequently approved the removal of the contaminated water warning signs base on those results.

Swimming, fishing and other shoreline activities can resume in the area.