More brown water advisories are posted for Oahu beaches
While an island-wide brown water advisory for Oahu has been canceled, new brown water advisories have been issued affecting more than half the island’s coastline.
The state Department of Health Clean Water Branch announced Wednesday that as a result of heavy rain the beach waters turned brown and advised people to stay out of the ocean at beaches along the entire North Shore from Kaena Point to Kahuku, the entire Windward Shore, and the South Shore as far as Kahala.
Another brown water advisory is in effect for the coastline stretching from Sand Island to Barber’s Point, and an additional advisory has been issued for Waianae’s Pokai Bay.
Heavy rain has resulted in stormwater runoff entering into coastal waters, the advisories said. The public is advised to stay out of floodwaters and stormwater runoff due to possible overflowing cesspools, sewer, manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals, and associated flood debris.
While not all coastal areas may be impacted by runoff, if the water is brown stay out, the announcement warns.