Swimming in Sewage
April 29, 2010 | 01:35 PM

Did you know that the 1998 EIS for Kahului Wastewater plant says that the intent and effect of injection wells is to discharge R2 treated sewage into the ocean?

Did you know that this water has not been disinfected (treated to R1) and is full of the same bacteria that came out of your toilet?

At any time the EPA can fine Maui County over a quarter of a million dollars per day until we clean up that water to R1. And we'd need to continue operating until we came into compliance. Six
months? More?

Four months of fines would pay the $30,000,000 to bring to the Kahului wastewater to R1 and install re-use piping. The prudent, fiscally responsible course of action is to begin work immediately.

Now that this is all public record, if another paddler goes into intensive care due to staph or (God forbid) is one of the 200 people per year who die of sewage-related MRSA in Hawaii each year, the ensuing lawsuit is going to be crippling to the County.

Bottom line: NONE of this water is being treated to R1. Therefore ALL of the water is loaded with bacteria.

We're already seeing the headlines aimed at tourists: SWIMMING IN SEWAGE. Is delay disinfecting this injection well water really worth the potential cost of continuing to pump bacteria-laden water into our ocean?

Call your Councilmember. Call the Mayor.

Karen Chun
Save Kahului Harbor


Save Kahului Harbor