Maintenance at Kalapaki Bay is lacking, part 2
Michael Diamant’s letter on Sunday Dec. 20, 2020, rightly points out the terrible state of the parking lot between JJ’s Broiler and Duke’s at Kalapaki Bay and lack of maintenance of vegetation in and around Nawiliwili stream there. But worse is the quality of the water in the stream.
State of Hawaii’s, Department of Health does NOT monitor the quality of the water in the stream and has done nothing to stop the pollution, as indicated by extremely high levels of fecal indicating bacteria. DOH does monitor the water at the middle of the beach in Kalapaki Bay, where the clean ocean water comes in.
Surfrider has been sampling the stream mouth monthly since 2008 and Enterococcus bacteria levels have almost always been above the state standards. For the past four years it measured polluted 100% of the time. The yearly average concentrations of the bacteria in the stream are 18 times the state standard, making it one of the most polluted streams on Kauai. Surfrider’s data can be found at: https://kauai.surfrider.org/what-we-do-old/blue-water-task-force-map/
DOH agreed that the stream was polluted enough to warrant a permanent warning sign, like they put up at Hanamaulu, Mahaulepu, and Niumalu two years ago, but as they have yet to post Nawiliwili stream, Surfrider posted a sign on the cropped pine trees. It lasted a little over a month.
Kids play in that stream all the time, but are at risk of getting sick with bacteria or viruses. We urge people to demand that DOH put up adequate warning signs. Then DOH must identify and clean up the sources of pollution.
Carl J. Berg, Ph.D., Surfrider Foundation, Kauai Chapter
John P. Alderete, Ph.D., Surfrider Foundation, Kauai Chapter
Parking lot a disaster
Aloha, I just want to say thank you Michael D., this is what I was talking about. The parking lot looks like third world country. There was Disaster monies for the parking lot, It was never used for that purpose. I was Living in Banyan Harbor at the time. So was trying to follow it.
Linda Bothe, Kalaheo
