Surfrider: Kauai streams, canals are polluted

Below are the results of Surfrider’s sampling of waters for enterococcus, a fecal-indicating bacteria, on Saturday, March 9. The first column are the counts/100 ml for that day, and the second column are the averages for the past five months. Values in red exceed Hawaii state standards of 130/100 ml for a single sample and 35/100 ml for a geometric mean of five or more samples. Surf sites a clean, while streams and canals are not. It is safest to just stay out of those waters with counts in the thousands. Winter rains cause water to be more polluted than normal. Be aware of brown-water advisories from the state Department of Health and stay out. Beware of sharks in brown water.

Check the Surfrider website for all the past data: https://kauai.surfrider.org/what-we-do/blue-water-task-force/ and The Swim Guide, www.theswimguide.org.