The Hawaii Department of Health is asking the public to avoid the waters near the Hickam Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall, close to Pearl Harbor’s entrance channel, off the Ewa end of the Reef Runway. 

This advisory comes after the Hickam Wastewater Treatment Plant discharged 9,500 gallons of partially treated wastewater. 

According to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, the treatment process usually involves removing non-organic products (cloth, rags, rocks, etc.), heavy inorganic matter (sand and cinder) and secondary sludge; using Sand Filters to remove any remaining particulate matter and using an Ultra Violet light system that disinfects the effluent prior to discharge. The 9,500 gallons of wastewater that were released skipped the sand filtration step. 

A pump failure caused the wastewater release.  

The area the public is asked to avoid is near Kamehameha Beach and Hickam Beach. To the west of this area is Iroquois Beach.