Pollution continues to contaminate the water across America's beaches, causing 2,352 closing and advisory days in Hawai'i last year and 18,682 nationwide according to the 20th annual beachwater quality report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Beachwater pollution nationwide causes a range of waterborne illnesses in swimmers including stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other serious health problems.
"Due to state budget cuts this year, the Department of Health's Clean Water Branch lost four of its five water quality monitors on O'ahu this year," said Stuart Coleman, Surfrider's Hawaii Coordinator. "This is a big liability for Hawai'i because we are so dependent on tourism and we need to make sure our waters are monitored and protected from waterborne diseases. Pollution from sewage spills, injection wells and stormwater runoff can cause all kinds of illnesses. For instance, Maui has some of the highest rates of staph infection and MRSA in the country."
The good news is that Surfrider chapters across Hawai'i host monthly beach cleanups and work with the Clean Water Branch to do water quality testing across the state. However, there is still a lot of work to do to educate people and policy makers about ways to keep our oceans clean and conserve water, while reducing sewage spills and stormwater runoff. Surfrider has two new website dedicated to bringing awareness about beaches and water quality: www.knowyourh2o.org/about.php and www.beachapedia.org/Main_Page.
In its 20th year, the NRDC's annual report, Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches, analyzes government data on beachwater testing results from 2009 at more than 3,000 beaches nationwide, and provides a 5-star rating chart for 200 of the nation's most popular beaches based on indicators of beachwater quality, monitoring frequency, and public notification of contamination. The report confirms that last year, our nation's beachwater continued to suffer from serious contamination, including human and animal waste, and a concerted effort to control future pollution is required.
Beaches at O'ahu's Hanauma Bay, Royal Hawaiian-Moana and Maui's Wailea Beach Park received a 4-star rating (out of 5). But beaches at O'ahu's Kuliouou and Ke'ehi Lagoon and Kaua'i's Hanalei Beach Park rated only 2 stars.
This year's report found that 7 percent of beachwater samples nationwide in 2009 violated health standards, showing no improvement from the previous two years. In Hawai'i, the percentage of health standard exceedances increased to 4 percent in 2009 from 2 percent in 2008. Hawai'i ranks fifth in the nation for its beachwater quality testing.
Under the federal BEACH Act, states regularly test their beachwater for bacteria found in human and animal waste. These bacteria indicate the presence of pathogens. When beach managers determine that water contamination exceeds health standards, or in some cases when a state suspects levels would exceed standards, such as after heavy rain, they notify the public through beach closures or advisories. While the report found an overall 8 percent decrease in closing and advisory days at beaches nationwide from 2008, the change does not necessarily signal permanent improvement in beachwater quality. Rather, the overall decrease likely reflects decreased funding for water contamination monitoring in Southern California, as well as dry conditions in Hawai'i and the four U.S. territories. In fact, many regions of the country actually saw sharp increases, including most of the East Coast and the entire Gulf Coast.
In Hawai'i, Testing the Waters shows that the number of closing and advisory days decreased from 2008 to 2009. Most of the closing and advisory days were caused by stormwater runoff; so Hawai'i saw a decrease in closing and advisory days because of a decrease in the amount of rain. In 2009, stormwater runoff was the primary known source of pollution at beaches nationwide, consistent with past years. The report indicates polluted runoff continues to be a serious problem that has not been addressed.
By using a wealth of available, smart water solutions on land, collectively called "green infrastructure," we can naturally control and treat stormwater pollution, as well as prevent sewage overflows, to keep waste from reaching the beach. Green infrastructure refers to a variety of practices such as green roofs, permeable pavement, roadside plantings and rain barrels that stop rainwater where it falls and either store it for later use or allow it to soak back into the ground.
"Relying on dry weather to keep our beachwater clean is not a long-term public health protection strategy. When the rains return, so will the pollution," said NRDC Water Program Director David Beckman. "Green infrastructure techniques on land can make a real difference in the water and they're often the cheapest and most effective way to improve beachwater quality. From green roofs to permeable pavement and roadside plantings, there's a whole host of ways to not only prevent runoff pollution and sewage overflows from the start, but to beautify neighborhoods, boost economies and support American jobs at the same time."