Honolulu Must Address Problems That Led to Waikiki Sewage Spill

Environment News Service, May, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC (ENS) — --> The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. EPA, the Hawaii Attorney General's Office, and the Hawaii Department of Health have reached an interim agreement with the City and County of Honolulu that will correct the worst problems in Honolulu's wastewater collection system.

This settlement resolves a civil enforcement action that the United States and the state have filed against the City and County of Honolulu.

"This agreement will result in measures by the city to prevent catastrophic spills from Oahu's most vulnerable sewage pipes," said Wayne Nastri, the EPA's Administrator for the Pacific Southwest region.

On March 24, 2006, a major Waikiki sewage pipe burst, spilling 50 million gallons of sewage. For five days before repairs could be made, the city pumped raw sewage into the Ala Wai canal, which runs into the Pacific Ocean.

Contamination from this event resulted ...