The Kauai Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation reports the results of the Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) on Sept. 20 after sampling coastal waters and rivers and streams on Kauai.
Fifteen volunteers collected and tested 32 locations island wide.
We test for Enterococcus fecal indicating bacteria as does the Hawaii Department of Health. While DOH samples the few most popular beaches, the ones with lifeguards, Surfrider samples streams where they enter the ocean, carrying pollution to our favorite beaches. Surfrider also samples the surfbreaks, of course.
Single samples should be less than 130 bacteria per 100 ml of sample water. This value tells how polluted with fecal indicating bacteria that water was at the time of collection. But rainfall, waves and currents change those values constantly, so single sample values just tell you what the water is currently like.
The geometric mean (average) for all the samples collected at a site this year should be less than 35 bacteria per 100ml. This value takes into account really high concentrations of bacteria caused by rainfall washing bacteria off the surface of the ground and leaching underground from cesspools and faulty septic systems.
High geometric mean values indicate that the site is chronically polluted and should be avoided, especially if the water is brown. High value this month (148) for Morgan’s Pond at Lydgate Park may indicate contamination from the Wailua wastewater treatment plant’s ocean outfall, just south of the park.
This month 12 of the 29 sites tested had bacteria concentrations higher than the Hawaii state standard (130 mpn) and 14 of the 29 had geometric means high enough to put them on the chronically polluted list.
High tides and large ocean swell brought clean oceanic water into many spots e.g., Koloa landing, and there was less rain on the North Shore. We generally have cleaner ocean water during the summer.
Check out Kauai Surfrider’s website for past results of Blue Water Task Force’s reports or https://bwtf.surfrider.org/report/23 and choose the cleanest water to go play in.
Surfrider advises, at a minimum, to carefully rinse off with clean fresh water after getting out of the stream, river or ocean. Other precautions may include covering open sores with a cream or gel and avoiding water in eyes, ears and not swallowing. Potential health issues can include skin lesions, digestive and respiratory symptoms.
So much of our ocean is pristine clean, mostly the spots near river and stream outfall, and some bays, depending on time of year currents.
Surfrider has been testing Kauai’s waters for 15 years, increasing the number of testing sites when indicated. If you would like to be a helping volunteer, contact Robert at (808) 634-6597.
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Dr. Robert A. Zelkovsky is a Surfrider Executive Committee member, water sample collector and tester.
Source: The Garden Island