Sewage spill closes beaches in Waikiki

Tourists walks near a warning sign posted on Waikiki Beach, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015, in Honolulu. Most of the famed beach fronting Waikiki was closed after heavy rains triggered a half-million gallon sewage spill near Hawaii’s world-famous tourist district, officials said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)  (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Scott Murakawa, of the Hawaii Department of Health, takes a water quality sample at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu. Stretches of Waikiki’s white sands and blue waters were deserted Tuesday after officials warned that heavy rains triggered a half-million-gallon sewage spill.