The number of people hospitalized in Hawaii because of MRSA infections is twice the national average and approximately 200 people in Hawaii die from MRSA every year with the highest incidence on Maui.
Dr. Alan Tice, a professor at the University of Hawaii who specializes in infectious diseases, has identified ocean water as a potential source of MRSA. “I think ocean water is definitely a potential source of MRSA,” Tice has said. “We have found in Hawaii as many as 100 MRSA colonies per liter of sea water”.
It is suspected that this bacteria comes from wastewater treatment systems. Waterborne pharmaceutical byproductspromote antibiotic-resistant germs, especially when — as in the process of wastewater treatment — they are mixed with bacteria in human sewage.
Disinfection of wastewater removes disease-causing organisms from wastewater, using either chlorine or UV light. Chlorine is cheaper but not good for the ocean. Because UV is expensive, the County of Maui does not disinfect all wastewater that is injected into the ground at Kahului.
That water then seeps into the ocean and we surfers, paddlers, swimmers and divers reap the results – increasing infections. This is why we want to stop the two new Kahului injection wells until the County either disinfect the water or redirects it.
We do not understand why Mayor Tavares is fighting us on this. Please call her at 270-7855 and ask for her support.
There’s a scary article on Maui’s problem with injection wells and ocean born staph on http://ourgreenmaui.org/