Pāhoa Community Aquatic Center closed indefinitely after Kīlauea tephra contamination, contractor hired

The Pāhoa Community Aquatic Center has been closed since Jan. 24 after fine volcanic ash and Pele’s hair from Kīlauea’s Episode 41 eruption accumulated in the pool and around the facility, and the County of Hawaiʻi is moving to hire a contractor to perform a comprehensive cleaning and inspect the filtration system before reopening. County officials said the contamination threatens the integrity of the sand-media filters and could require costly repairs.

“Despite concerted efforts by the County to rinse down the facility’s roofing, pressure wash the pool decks, and continuously vacuum the pool basin, ash and Pele’s hair continues to collect in the pool as it is blown from the roofs of nearby structures, from nearby trees, and across open areas of the park. The integrity of the pool’s filtration system is also in question given the amount of debris that has likely infiltrated the sand media in the filters. As a result, Parks and Recreation is initiating the process, with the assistance of the Finance Department, of hiring a contractor to perform a comprehensive cleaning of the pool basin and filtration system. The County will provide more details about the timeline for the closure as the project progresses.”

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda noted the potential cost if filters need replacement: “All the Pele’s hair and all that material, that tephra, went into the pool and it’s stuck in the gutters, and there’s a filter and if that filter is broken, it’s gonna cost us about $60,000 to replace,” Alameda said in his weekly social media update on Jan. 30. Clayton Honma, Director of Parks and Recreation, framed the work as a public health priority. “It’s important to the public’s health and safety to conduct a thorough cleaning of the entire pool to ensure safe operation and use of the facility going forward,” Honma said. “We appreciate the public’s patience during this closure and look forward to welcoming swimmers back to the pool when the project is complete.”

U.S. Geological Survey mapping and observations tied the fallout to high lava fountains on Jan. 24 combined with light winds from the southwest to northeast, producing a dusting of fine-grained ash and Pele’s hair across Puna and portions of South Hilo, with tephra reported as extending from Pepeekeo to Kalapana. Photographs released by the County and the Office of the Hawaiʻi County Mayor show tephra floating in the pool basin, ash on pool decks, and the aquatic center sign posted behind a fenced closure.

County crews have already rinsed roofs, pressure washed decks, and continuously vacuumed the pool basin, but officials say windblown tephra from nearby roofs and trees continues to recontaminate the site. The procurement move with the Finance Department begins a formal process to hire outside cleanup and filtration specialists; no contractor name, bid schedule, or firm reopening date has been announced.

The Pāhoa facility previously faced an extended closure and cleanup after the 2018 Kīlauea eruptions, meaning swim teams, lessons, and regular users in Puna may face weeks of disruption depending on inspection outcomes and any required filter replacement. County leaders say they will provide timeline updates as the project progresses. For residents, the immediate implication is continued loss of pool access and the possibility of significant repair costs if filtration media must be replaced; the next concrete milestones will be the county’s contractor selection and the results of filtration inspections.