A sewage spill off Hilo has led officials to tell people to keep out of the water, bad news for swimmers, surfers, and fishers on that stretch of coast.

• The Hilo wastewater treatment plant released 71,000 gallons of partly treated water into Puhi Bay.
• The discharge happened about three quarters of a mile offshore.
• An electrical failure at the plant caused the release.
• The water was disinfected before it went out, which limits the health risk.
• Crews responded right away and are still watching the site.

Outlook: The warning should lift once testing shows the water is clean again, but repeat failures are likely until the plant's electrical problem is fixed.