FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                            September 14, 2006

UPDATE ON WAHIAWA WASTEWATER DISCHARGE

            A second electrical malfunction at the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant at midday  resulted in an additional discharge of wastewater that had been treated but not disinfected into Lake Wilson.

            The plant’s ultraviolet disinfection unit initially malfunctioned at 8:14 a.m. That was corrected by 8:29 a.m. During that period, an estimated 26,555 gallons of filtered, biologically treated wastewater had been discharged.

            The unit malfunctioned again between 12:15 and 12:28 p.m., causing an estimated 18,775 gallons of undisinfected wastewater to be discharged. That brought the day’s total to an estimated 45, 330 gallons of undisinfected wastewater being discharged from the plant into the lake. The switch that is believed to have caused the malfunctions is being repaired.

            The plant normally discharges between 2 and 3 million gallons of wastewater a day into Lake Wilson, at a depth of 60 feet. The plant provides more than secondary treatment, which consists of solids removal, biological treatment, sand filtering and ultraviolet disinfection.

            Warning signs have been posted and water samples are being collected. The state Department of Health has been notified. The public is advised to avoid the affected waters.

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Contact:  

            Ross Tanimoto, Monitoring and Compliance Branch Chief, 520-5561