HONOLULU -- The city's worst fears are coming true. The plume of raw sewage being dumped into the Ala Wai Canal has now drifted into part of Waikiki, closing popular beaches and surf spots.

Officials had hoped to avoid high levels of bacteria. The bacterial counts over the past four days have been extremely high.

Workers posted warning signs for beaches in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Hotel and Hale Koa Hotel and surf spots from Point Panic to Pops. All are closed because of the spill.

Health officials walked up and down the beach telling tourists to stay out of the water. Concessionaires closed up their shops.

The health department tested for three types of bacteria: fecal coliform, enterococci and C. perfringens. The enterococci levels are supposed to be at 7, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's standards. Those numbers are much higher than that at many south shore beaches.

Wastewater Spill Bacterial Levels
Date	Location	Enterococci Levels
3/27/06	Kewalo (Point Panic)	30
3/27/06	Ala Moana Ewa Concessions	5
3/27/06	Ala Moana Magic Island Concessions	28
3/27/06	Magic Island	31,000
3/27/06	Hilton Hotel Lagoon	1,700
3/27/06	Hale Koa Hotel	1,700
3/27/06	Halekulani-Sheraton hotels	160
3/27/06	Moana Hotel	46
3/27/06	Queens Beach	10
3/27/06	Natatorium	44

Hilton Hotel managers did not look pleased after meeting with state health officials. Hotel security helped to get the word out to visitors to stay out of the water. The health department said unsafe bacterial counts forced the decision to close the beaches fronting the Hilton and Halekoa hotels.

One family wishes that the signs fronting the hotel had been posted sooner.

"It was Sunday afternoon, we didn't know anything at that point until we saw it in the paper yesterday," Seattle visitor Charlie Young said.

Health officials were telling people on the beach that the signs would probably remain posted for the next several days.

"Until this rain stops and we get a lot of sun, it's going to take awhile," said Watson Okubo, of the state Department of Health.

The signs are up, but not everyone is getting the word. Many Japanese tourists ventured in the water not realizing the risks. KITV asked whether signs ought to be posted in Japanese since many of the visitors cannot read English. Officials told KITV international symbols are used on the signs, suggesting that was sufficient.

City officials are hoping that a temporary patch on the broken sewer main will hold.

Crews on Wednesday began slowly filling the pipe to see if it could handle the wastewater.

For the past four days, the city has had to dump the raw sewage from Manoa, Moiliili and Waikiki into the Ala Wai Canal. It is trying to avoid having to divert any more into the ocean.

By 1 p.m. the pipe was handling its normal load of wastewater, but what happens over the next day is critical.

"When we continue to run it, that's the more telling. If it can run for 24 hours with no leaks, then we can be very comfortable that it's holding," said Eric Takemura, of the city's Environmental Services.

The demands on the system are greatest in the early morning and evening, he said. Takemura said it would help if the public would limited flushing if they can. The heavy rains are stressing the system and the city wants to avoid polluting the canal and the ocean any more than it already has.