Hawaii County Works on Plans for Major Wastewater Project
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) – Hawaii County officials are trying to move forward with plans for a proposed wastewater project that could be one of the most expensive the county has ever undertaken.
The $100 million upgrade to the Kealakehe sewer plant would allow treated wastewater to irrigate crops in North Kona. But officials say several issues need to be addressed before the project can get up and running, West Hawaii Today reported (http://bit.ly/2gAwT49 ).
The wastewater plant currently treats water to a lower standard than what’s being planned with the upgrade before chlorinating the waste, which gets funneled into a pit near the Kealakehe police station. Richard Bennett with the county’s Environmental Management Commission said a big concern is salt water infiltration of private sewer lines carrying waste to the sewer plant.
“The chloride in the water is alarmingly high, so it will be extremely toxic to vegetation,” Bennett said. “Asking people to irrigate with that water is a prescription for failure.”
The commission wants the state Department of Health to conduct tests of private sewer laterals for any suspected infiltration or to compel property owners to inspect their own sewer lines.
North Kona Councilwoman Karen Eoff said it is important for more water to get filtered, cleaned and put to good use so that there is less pollution threatening the near-shore waters off the Kona Coast.
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