Kauai County warns of 1,000-gallon wastewater spill in Līhue

Kauai County warned Tuesday morning that an estimated 1,000 gallons of wastewater spilled near the Kapaia Sewage Pump Station in Līhue, close to Kūhiō Highway and Maalo Road, after a communication failure between the control system and pumping equipment. The overflow happened between about 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. and sent wastewater from a nearby sewer manhole onto the roadway, and wastewater may have entered a nearby stream and reached state waters.

County crews pumped down the wet well and the ponded wastewater, disinfected the affected area and kept cleanup work going after the pump station resumed normal operation once the communication problem was fixed. The county’s Wastewater Management Division listed Donald Fujimoto as the contact for questions at 808-241-4083 or dfujimoto@kauai.gov.

The Hawaii Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch issued a wastewater discharge advisory and told the public to stay out of nearby waters until the advisory is canceled. People should avoid contact with waters that may be contaminated by sewage spills, and coastal waters are usually considered safe only after about 48 hours and only after further guidance from DOH.

Kūhiō Highway and Maalo Road carry daily traffic through the area, and the county’s sewer system depends on pump stations running continuously. Kauai County Public Works is responsible for sewage collection and treatment.

In March, the county said the Līhue Wastewater Treatment Plant was spilling about 70,000 gallons per day during peak flows, and in April it said about 140,000 gallons spilled at the Waimea Wastewater Treatment Plant during heavy rain, high infiltration and inflow, and storm-driven surges. County officials were working on immediate repairs and capacity options in Waimea.