The state Health Department is advising the public to remain out of the waters of the Ala Wai Canal near the Waikiki-Kapahulu library due to a wastewater discharge.

The spill has been ongoing and intermittent as of Sunday, according to the department, which said the estimated volume of discharge remains unknown.

The advisory recommends staying out of the canal waters from Kapahulu Library to Liliuokalani Avenue.

Swimming in the Ala Wai Canal at all is generally not advised, as it is considered “one of the most polluted waterways in Hawaii,” according to a recent Sea Grant study by the University of Hawaii.

UH said the stagnant waters at the manmade Ala Wai support conditions ideal for Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that can cause life-threatening skin conditions.