Fujioka, Roger

Harrison, John T.

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University of Hawai'i at ManoaEnvironmental CenterA Unit of Water Resources Research CenterCrawford 317 • 2550 Campus Road· Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822Telephone: (808) 956-7361 • Facsimile: (808) 956-3980RL:01295SCR 237/SR 207REQUESTING TIlE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TASK FORCETO ADDRESS CONCERNS RELATED TO SEWAGE POLLUTIONOF WAIKIKI AREA BEACH WATERSSenate Committee on Ecology and Environmental ProtectionPublic Hearing - April 5, 19951:00 P.M., Room 305 SOTbyJohn T. Harrison, Environmental CenterRoger Fujioka, Water Resources Research CenterSCR 237/SR 207 seeks establishment of a task force to evaluate concerns regardingbacterial contamination of coastal waters adjacent to Waikiki due to sewage contamination and torecommend a strategy to remedy those concerns.The statement that leaks from sewage lines in Waikiki are contaminating waters in theWaikiki beach area and the Ala Wai Canal is unfounded. We are unaware of any studies whichhave positively identified problems of this type in Waikiki.The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Wastewater Management considersthe collectors in Waikiki to be major sources of inflow and infiltration, that is, leakage ofgroundwater into sewage pipes. The lining and sealing technology referred to in the resolutiongenerally is used to prevent the flow of water from the ground into the pipes rather than the flowof sewage out of the pipes. Since gravity lines are designed to handle storm flows, they usually areless than half full even during periods of high usage. Thus, there is no hydrostatic pressure headto force fluid out of the lines into the ground, and so it's hard to envision the sewage pipes assources of contamination of coastal waters.Two recent studies which have assessed bacterial contamination of recreational waters inthe Waikiki area have concluded that the source of contamination is not sewage, but rather stormrunoff in the case of enterococci and high densities of human swimmers in the case ofstaphylococci. While we agree that protection of the public health and the high quality ofWaikiki's recreational waters is of critical importance, the problem envisioned by this measure isunproven and unlikely, and hard evidence suggests that bacteria in these waters come fromsources other than sewage. Thus, we suggest that the proposed task force is unnecessary.An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution

SCR 237 / SR 207, Requesting the Establishment of a Task Force to Address Concerns Related to Sewage Pollution of Waikiki Area Beach Waters, Senate Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, Public Hearing - April 5, 1995, 1:00 P.M., Room 305, SOT

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/26334/1/RL01295.PDF

SCR 237 / SR 207, Requesting the Establishment of a Task Force to Address Concerns Related to Sewage Pollution of Waikiki Area Beach Waters, Senate Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, Public Hearing - April 5, 1995, 1:00 P.M., Room 305, SOT

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