High bacteria levels detected in Kailua Bay from Marine Corps Base Hawaii wastewater
Sep. 4—The Department of Health is advising the public to stay out of waters near the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Water Reclamation Facility outfall in Kailua.
Discharge from the base's wastewater treatment plant has exceeded permitted fecal indicator bacterial levels, affecting Kailua Bay, the Health Department said.
Warning signs will be posted in affected areas.
The Health Department was notified Friday, but the high levels of bacteria levels began Aug. 6.
The public should stay out of the affected waters until further notice.
"The effluent from MCBH is combined with that from the Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and discharged about a mile offshore of Kailua Bay at 110 feet below the surface of the ocean into the natural zone of mixing, " a March 10, 2020 article on the MCBH website says.
