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| A distant view of the Waikiki Yacht Club and Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. // Photo by Freeimages.com/Diane Groves |
According to a statement released Wednesday afternoon by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the beaches from Waikiki to Ala Moana have been reopened following a 500,000-gallon sewage spill.
"The City Department of Environmental Services and Hawaii State Department of Health have deemed the water safe," according to the statement. "Warning signs have been taken down from these beaches but remain up near Ala Wai Boat Harbor and Kewalo Basin as officials continue to monitor offshore water in these areas."
The incident occurred on a street fronting a shopping mall at the edge of Waikiki, where there are two pumping stations, according to the Associated Press (AP). According to Hawaii News Now, the escape was facilitated by people who had illegally opened the manholes to alleviate flooding during heavy rainfall.
The area was closed Monday after storm water flowed into the city's sewage system as a weather system linked to Tropical Storm Kilo dumped heavy rain on the islands, according to the AP.
The inundation overwhelmed the sewage system, causing 500,000 gallons of wastewater to spew from manholes, said Lori Kahikina, Honolulu's director of environmental services, according to the AP.
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