FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 January 29, 2007

Electrical outage disrupts Wahiawa wastewater treatment

             A brief power outage this morning caused about 8,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater to leave the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant without receiving the final step of treatment, ultraviolet disinfection.

            The outage occurred between 10:45 and 10:51 a.m., knocking the plant’s disinfection unit out of operation. The 8,000 gallons of wastewater that was discharged into Lake Wilson for that period was filtered, screened and biologically treated.

            Warning signs are being posted and water samples are being collected. The state Department of Health has been notified.

            The public is advised to heed the warning signs and avoid the affected waters.

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Contact:

            Ken Kawahara, 692-5372

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767