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DOH trend + NWS forecast · DOH + NOAA data through 2026-07-24

Hawaii Water Quality — 14-Day Trend + 7-Day Forecast

Mixed picture: Big Island still clear, Maui still clear, O'ahu worsening, Kaua'i stable.

Per-island direction of change, based on the last 14 days of Hawaii DOH advisory data compared to the 14 days before, plus NOAA 7-day rainfall forecast at each island's tourist coast.

Per-island outlook
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Big Island

14-day trend + 7-day forecast
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Still clear · 14/14 days had no DOH advisories anywhere on Big Island — same baseline as the 14 days before. Stable clean pattern.

No DOH Beach Advisories or Brown Water Advisories were active anywhere on Big Island during the last 14 days.

Last 14 days · % of beaches clean per day
2 weeks agotoday
Next 7 days · NOAA forecast at Kohala Coast, Big Island
Mostly dry, light scattered showers (peak 43%)
Persistently clean. Scattered showers unlikely to disrupt.
Cleanest Big Island beaches today →
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Maui

14-day trend + 7-day forecast
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Still clear · 14/14 days had no DOH advisories anywhere on Maui — same baseline as the 14 days before. Stable clean pattern.

No DOH Beach Advisories or Brown Water Advisories were active anywhere on Maui during the last 14 days.

Last 14 days · % of beaches clean per day
2 weeks agotoday
Next 7 days · NOAA forecast at South Maui (Wailea / Kihei)
Dry week ahead (max 28% chance of rain)
Persistently clean. Dry forecast suggests continued.
Cleanest Maui beaches today →
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O'ahu

14-day trend + 7-day forecast
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Worsening · 3/14 days had no DOH advisories anywhere on O'ahu in the last 14 days (-78.6pp vs the 14 days before, when 14/14 days were clear).

On 11 of the last 14 days, at least one DOH advisory (Beach Advisory or Brown Water Advisory) was active somewhere on O'ahu. Drill into specific beaches below.

Last 14 days · % of beaches clean per day
2 weeks agotoday
Next 7 days · NOAA forecast at South Shore O’ahu (Honolulu / Waikiki)
Rain likely — Tuesday / Wednesday (62% peak)
Trend is worsening AND rain is forecast. Expect advisory activity to continue or intensify. Consider dry-side alternatives.
Cleanest O'ahu beaches today →
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Kaua'i

14-day trend + 7-day forecast
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Stable · 11/14 days had no DOH advisories anywhere on Kaua'i in the last 14 days (-7.1pp vs the 14 days before, when 12/14 days were clear).

On 3 of the last 14 days, at least one DOH advisory (Beach Advisory or Brown Water Advisory) was active somewhere on Kaua'i. Drill into specific beaches below.

Last 14 days · % of beaches clean per day
2 weeks agotoday
Next 7 days · NOAA forecast at Po’ipu, Kaua’i
Rain likely — Wednesday (59% peak)
Trend is stable but heavy rain is forecast — expect advisory activity to pick up after the next storm.
Cleanest Kaua'i beaches today →
Frequently Asked

Is Hawaii's water quality getting better or worse right now?

As of DOH + NOAA data through 2026-07-24, Mixed picture: Big Island still clear, Maui still clear, O'ahu worsening, Kaua'i stable. This page aggregates Hawaii Department of Health advisory data across 31 tracked beaches and compares the last 14 days against the 14 days before to show the actual direction of change per island. Forward-looking outlook uses NOAA National Weather Service rainfall forecasts for the next 7 days at each island's primary tourist coast.

Why 14 days and not 30?

Seven days is too noisy — single storms dominate and testing schedules can create false trends. Thirty days captures pre-trip-window data that's less relevant to a planner deciding right now. Fourteen days is long enough for signal, short enough to be responsive to current storms, and gives us two comparable windows (last 14 vs prior 14) to measure actual direction of change.

How does the 7-day weather forecast factor in?

Hawaii Brown Water Advisories follow rainfall by about 24-72 hours — upland rain drains through streams, which push runoff to the coast. If the next 7 days are forecast dry at the tourist coast, we expect trends to hold or improve. If rain is forecast, expect new advisory activity to follow. The outlook narrative combines the current trend direction with the rainfall forecast (dry / mild / wet) into one actionable sentence per island.

Where do the numbers come from?

The trend data comes from the Hawaii Department of Health Clean Water Branch public API, which our pipeline polls daily. The 14-day window is the last 14 days of our 30-day per-beach tracking (31 beaches statewide). The weather forecast comes from NOAA's National Weather Service API (api.weather.gov) sampled at one leeward-coast point per island where trip planners actually go: Kohala Coast, South Maui, Honolulu South Shore, and Po'ipu. Both refresh daily.

Does this page tell me whether I should swim?

No. This page measures water-quality DIRECTION of change — whether bacteria and Brown Water Advisory activity has been increasing or decreasing across an island. It is not a swim recommendation. Physical hazards (shore break, rip currents, surf, marine life) are independent of water quality and vary by beach. Always check the individual beach page for current DOH status and physical-hazard information before entering the water.

Disclaimer: This page describes water-quality direction of change and weather outlook. It is not a swim recommendation. Water quality is one of several factors in whether to enter the ocean — physical hazards (shore break, rip currents, surf, marine life) are independent and vary by beach. Always check the individual beach page for current DOH advisories and local conditions before swimming. DOH tests roughly 57 of Hawaii's 300+ swimmable beaches.