FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                  March 23, 2007

Release No. M-26-07

KUALOA PARK WATERS CLEARED FOR PUBLIC USE

           The state Department of Health has informed the City that it will remove the contaminated water warning signs on the beach at Kualoa Regional Park after tests over the past three weeks found low levels of bacteria there.

            Department of Health officials notified the City this afternoon that the signs will be removed tomorrow (Saturday, March 24, 2007).

            “Obviously, this is good news for park users,” said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. “And it calls into question the state’s claim that the wastewater facilities at the park are the source of high bacteria levels in Kualoa’s nearshore water.

            “As we have said time and again, we do not believe the City facilities are the source of the high bacteria levels.”

            Kualoa’s leach fields were capped more than a year ago after high bacteria levels were detected. Wastewater has been removed regularly by pumper trucks since then. Bacteria levels declined to acceptable levels last summer, then rose again in January during the rainy season prompting the state’s latest closing of the beach.

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Contact:

            Bill Brennan, 527-2968

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767