For the second time this month, a breakdown in Kaua’i County’s wastewater treatment systems has resulted in a sewage spill. Early Thursday morning, as much as 10 thousand gallons of untreated sewage spilled into Port Allen Harbor. The Supervisory Control
For the second time this month, a breakdown in Kaua’i County’s wastewater treatment systems has resulted in a sewage spill.
Early Thursday morning, as much as 10 thousand gallons of untreated sewage spilled into Port Allen Harbor.
The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA) , which controls pump station number one and its alarm system at the entrance to Port Allen Harbor, failed, according to Beth Tokioka, the county’s Public Information Officer.
The pump station was checked by Wastewater personnel at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday. At that time the system was operating correctly.
But harbor employees on their way to work Thursday morning saw and reported the spill.
Wastewater personnel responded immediately and quickly got the spill under control, according to county officials.
The waste had spilled onto the roadway leading to the harbor and some had also spilled into the harbor.
The amount of spillage has yet to be determined, according to the county.
But the Ele’ele pump station, located at the entrance to the Harbor, processes approximately 20,000 gallons of sewage daily.
Based on that data, Wastewater officials are estimating as much as 8,000 to 10,000 gallons of sewage may have spilled into the harbor.
State Department of Health officials were on the scene most of yesterday (Thursday) with Wastewater employees, testing water at three points, including at the end of the pier.
Signs have been posted warning fishermen and small craft to avoid the harbor until test results are received (hopefully later today- Friday).
Wastewater employees have also washed down the area and removed visibly remaining sewage with a suction pump.
Wastewater officials believe Thursday’s system failure is similar to the to one that caused an even bigger spill (250,000 of treated effluent) in the early morning hours of January 14 at the Lihu’e Wastewater Treatment plant.
In response to the earlier spill, the County yesterday entered into an emergency contract with a technician who is being brought on-island from Oahu to test the SCADA systems at the Lihu’e, Eleele and Wailua wastewater facilities.
According to Mel Matsumura, head of the county’s Wastewater Division, efforts are being expedited to get the technician on island by this weekend.
Tokioka said the administration is also discussing the possibility of manning the waste facilities at night until the SCADA system is fixed.
Last November an estimated 5000 gallons of raw sewage from a cracked line spilled onto Kaumuali’i Highway in Ele’ele.
In October of 2000, a contractor installing guardrails along Kuhio Highway in Wailua broke a sewer main and caused 20,000 gallons of untreated sewage to leak out onto the ground.
