Officials reopened the famous Waikiki beach on Wednesday after a sewage spill left the waters contaminated, according to the Associated Press. Water quality tests showed that the amount of bacteria found had diminished greatly since the spill.
Deputy Director of the State Department of Health, Keith Kawaoka, allowed officials to take down warning signs placed along the Waikiki and Ala Moana beaches. He later told reporters that, "the indication is that the levels have come down dramatically from yesterday to indicate that we can open at least those beach areas," according to the AP.
Brown water advisory warnings are still in effect in some of these areas, according to the Pacific Business News.
Heavy rainfall led to flooding along streets, causing people to illegally open manholes, according to the Inquisitr. This allowed rainwater to enter sewage drains, forcing the sewage into the ocean and along the beaches.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Cadwell gave a press conference in the city's Department of Emergency Management to announce that the beaches would be reopened.
"We recognize at both the state and county level that, in terms of our economy, there's nothing is more important than Waikiki, so we wanted to make sure that this event was over in basically a few days. We have the most beautiful beaches and our Waikiki resort destination is one of the most fantastic in the world," he said, according to Pacific Business News.
More rain is expected to hit the city in the coming days.
