Heavy Rains Cause Temporary Discharge of Partially Treated Wastewater at Sandy Beach

Discharge stopped after generator power was restored following Hurricane Lala outage 

HONOLULU, Aug. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaii American Water reports that approximately 717,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater were discharged through the company's outfall at Sandy Beach following a power outage associated with Tropical Storm Lala.

The discharge began yesterday at approximately 3:45 p.m. HST. Hawaii American Water crews responded, and generator power was restored at approximately 6:30 p.m. HST, stopping the discharge. The facility returned to utility power at approximately 9 p.m. HST on August 16, 2026.

As a precaution, the company has posted warning signs along the affected shoreline. The public should avoid contact with the water in posted areas until further notice. The signs will remain in place until the Hawaii Department of Health advises that they may be removed.

About Hawaii American Water

Hawaii American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK) with approximately 15 dedicated employees, provides high-quality wastewater services to approximately 30,000 people.

SOURCE American Water