Water quality at Wailea Beach
For Grand Wailea, treat Wailea Beach as the beach to check first. Use the live DOH status above, then check recent rain and runoff before entering. Historical risk is context, not a current bacteria sample.
The Grand Wailea sits on Wailea Beach, part of one of Maui's driest resort stretches on Maui.
South Maui is the driest coast on the island — minimal rainfall means minimal runoff. There are no streams
emptying onto these beaches, and the resort infrastructure uses modern wastewater systems (no cesspools).
Hui O Ka Wai Ola, a community water monitoring group, consistently finds the Wailea-to-Makena corridor
has the lower historical bacteria counts on Maui. This is the opposite of what's happening in West Maui,
where Hanakaoo Beach (on the Ka'anapali strip) just hit 1,298 enterococci/100mL in February 2026 — 10x the EPA Beach Action Value.
Wailea Beach is consistently among the lowest-risk monitored beaches across all Hawaiian islands.
Based on: Hui O Ka Wai Ola monitoring, DOH data, dry climate, no stream inputs, modern wastewater infrastructure
The Hawaii Department of Health recommends staying out of the ocean for at least 72 hours after heavy rain, even if the water looks clear. Bacteria and pollutants from runoff can linger in the water longer than the brown color does.
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⚠️ Important Disclaimer
Safe to Swim Hawaii is an independent passion project — it is not affiliated with the Hawaii Department of Health, Grand Wailea, or any government agency or hotel brand. Water quality ratings on this site are estimates based on publicly available testing data and geographic analysis. They are not real-time measurements and may not reflect current conditions. “No DOH Alerts” means no advisory is currently posted — it does not mean a recent bacteria sample confirmed low levels. DOH only monitors a fraction of Hawaii’s beaches, and some areas have no regular testing at all.
Always verify current water quality conditions with the Hawaii Department of Health Clean Water Branch before entering the water. This site is for informational purposes only and should not be the sole basis for any swimming decisions.
This site is a work in progress and we want to make it better. If you notice something that isn’t working right, have a suggestion, or want to share local knowledge about a beach, please reach out.
This site does not recommend or advise anyone to swim at any beach. We share government data and geographic analysis so you can make your own informed decisions. By using this site you accept full responsibility for your own safety. See our Terms of Use for full details.
When in doubt, don’t go out. 🤙