image of Hilo Bay, showing a distant Richardson Ocean Park from the area of Leleiwi

(BIVN) – Richardson Ocean Center and Onekahakaha Beach Swimming Area along Hilo Bay recently registered high bacteria counts during routine testing.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health issued two High Bacteria Count Notifications for the Keaukaha-area beaches on Tuesday. Richardon returned a bacteria reading of 406 per 100 mL, and Onekahakaha was recorded at 453 per 100 mL.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health says both of the popular beaches have “historically met the acceptable beach threshold level, and there is no known source of fecal contamination,” and therefore officials are “uncertain about the representativeness of the first sample.”

The health department has collected another sample at both locations and is retesting the sites. Health officials will update the notification based on the results of this retesting.