HEAVY RAINS CAUSE TWO SEWER OVERFLOWS IN EAST HONOLULU
Heavy rains pounded the east side of Honolulu today as the Department of Environmental Services responded two sanitary sewer overflows.
The first call came in at 8:40 a.m. with an ENV crew dispatched at 8:46 a.m.
Wet weather caused an overflow at 1542 Pukele Avenue in Palolo releasing a mixture of storm water and raw wastewater into Palolo Stream, eventually leading to the Ala Wai Canal.
A second call came in at 11:08 a.m. with a crew dispatched at 11:16 a.m.
Wet weather produced a sewer overflow at 5307 Kalanianaole Highway spilling a combination of storm water and raw wastewater into Wailupe Stream, which empties into Mauanlua Bay.
The city’s ENV notified the state Department of Health. Signing is underway and water sampling will be conducted once storm event concludes. Oahu is still under a brown water advisory since yesterday.
Currently, both spills are on-going. Once sites are secured and spill volume calculated, a revised press release will be issued.
NAVY’S WASTEWATER PLANT AT PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM OVERFLOWS
Beginning Tuesday morning, March 6, severe inclement weather has caused significant instantaneous heavy flows at the Navy’s Wastewater Plant (WWTP) located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) causing the facility to intermittently bypass its final tertiary sand filtration system.
This bypass is not a wastewater spill. During these intermittent bypasses, the treatment plant discharges fully secondary treated effluent, without the polishing action of the effluent sand filtration, but with Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection before discharge through its deep, multiport outfall 1.5 miles offshore.
Facility engineers and operators are attempting to minimize the bypassing to the maximum extent practicable; however they continued to be challenged by existing weather conditions. As of 2 p.m. March 6, the bypass totaled 200,000 gallons. Additional gallons are expected to bypass the sand filtration as heavy rains continue on Oahu.
The sand filtration is one of the final advanced processes after full secondary treatment just prior to ultraviolet disinfection. It is an enhancement to improve the effluent quality and remove residual material following the fully functional secondary treatment system. Treated effluent was discharged into Mamala Bay through the plant’s 12,500 foot long outfall and 150 foot deep, multi-port diffuser where it was assimilated into the receiving waters with the assistance of ocean currents.
The Navy made all necessary notifications to the State Department of Health as required by the wastewater treatment plant’s operating permit. It is expected that the bypassed secondary treated and disinfected effluent would be naturally dispersed with minimal human health and environmental impacts.
The Navy’s Wastewater Treatment Plant provides advanced secondary treatment of both domestic and non-domestic wastewater. Advanced secondary treatment uses clarifiers, an activated sludge process, aeration/anoxic tanks, effluent sand filtration and UV disinfection.
For more information about NAVFAC Hawaii and/or Naval Facilities Engineering Command visit: www.navfac.navy.mil.
FLOODING CLOSES KAPAA QUARRY ROAD IN WINDWARD OAHU
Kapa’a Quarry Road is closed at Kalanianaole due to flooding. Access to Kapa’a Quarry Place and the industrial complex is available from Mokapu Saddle Road.
Department of Emergency Management Reserve Corps volunteers will monitor the flooding and keep the road closed until flooding abates and it becomes safe to transit through Kapa’a Quarry Road.
Until this severe weather system leaves our area everyone should continue to monitor TV and radio for important information updates.
The Department of Emergency Management also reminds residents to sign-up for Nixle at www.nixle.com/DEM to receive emergency and community messages directly from the department via email and cell phone text messaging.
If you have a flood related emergency call 9-1-1 immediately.
SEVERE WEATHER CLOSES OTHER OAHU ROADS
Overnight severe weather has caused two road closures on Oahu:
* Earlier today the Department of Transportation closed Kalanianaole in both directions between Lunalilo Home Road and Kealahou Street near Koko Head Crater due to rocks and debris on the roadway. Traffic in both directions is being detoured around the affected area via Lunalilo Home Road, Hawaii Kai Drive and Kealahou Street.
* The City has closed Diamond Head Rd. in both directions at Makalei Place due to mud, rocks and debris on the road.
* Crews are attempting to clear the debris however both closures will remain in effect for an undetermined amount of time.
The National Weather Service has extended the Oahu Flash Flood Warning until 5:00 PM.
A band of heavy showers falling at 1 to 3-inches per hour will move over southeast through 4:00 PM. These heavy showers can quickly trigger flash flooding especially over East Honolulu and Waimanalo where soils are saturated.
Until this severe weather system leaves our area everyone should continue to monitor TV and radio for important information updates.
The Department of Emergency Management also reminds residents to sign-up for Nixle at www.nixle.com/dem to receive emergency and community messages directly from the department via email and cell phone text messaging.
If you have a flood related emergency call 9-1-1 immediately.
HANAUMA BAY CLOSED TOMORROW DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER; SOME CITY GOLF COURSES MAY REMAIN CLOSED
The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve will close tomorrow, March 7, 2012, due to hazardous conditions caused by heavy rains and surface runoff. City workers will move sand to repair areas impacted and inundated by excessive amounts of water. Debris in the bay is also causing unsafe conditions for swimming. If there are no further weather delays, Hanauma Bay is expected to reopen on Thursday, March 8, 2012.
City golf courses at Ala Wai, Ewa Villages and West Loch were closed today and will likely remain closed tomorrow if heavy rains continue.
KAUAI SCHOOL CLOSES BECAUSE OF WEATHER
Due to the continued closure of the Hanalei Bridge, Hanalei School will be closed on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. ALL other DOE schools on Kauai will be open. (UPDATE: 3/6/2012, 4:20PM)
The school bus transportation service from Haena to Hanalei will not be operating. Students living in Hanalei to Haena that attend Kapaa Middle and Kapaa High Schools will not have school bus transportation service due to the inclement weather and closure of Hanalei Bridge. The Department of Education will continue to closely monitor the weather situation.
Teachers and staff that are unable to report to work due to the closure of the Hanalei Bridge and Kalihiwai Bridge will need to contact their supervisor.
All other public and charter schools are open.
Statements above submitted by various Hawaii government agencies