CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS CAUSES SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW

(Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010) – The city's Department of Environmental Services responded today to a sanitary sewer overflow in Palolo.

The call came in at 11:04 a.m. and an ENV crew arrived at 2134 Palolo Avenue at 12:01 p.m.  The site was secured at 2:09 p.m.

The cause of the SSO was construction debris, which released 2,700 gallons of untreated wastewater into a storm drain that empties into Palolo Stream.

ENV vactor trucks sucked up and redistributed approximately 4,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to a downstream manhole for treatment at Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

A third-party construction company resurfaced the street late last week paving over all of the manholes on Palolo Avenue.  ENV had to break through the pavement to get to the manhole.                                                                                                              

ENV notified the state Department of Health.  Signing and water sampling have begun in the area.

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Contact:  Markus Owens, ENV Public Communications Officer, 351-6305