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<br />discuss a public-private partnership for wastewater treatment at the Kealakehe Wastewater <br />Treatment Plant. Commissioner Adams seconded the motion. <br /> <br /> Discussion: Commissioner Gaffney said what they want the Council to do is look into <br />creating recycled/reclaimed water. The county is already managing wastewater treatment, but <br />what is needed is a legally usable reclaimed water resource. <br /> <br /> Commissioner Burns said it is also important to make known the various options that <br />are available. For instance, going down the path of an NPDES permit is an option. It would be <br />good for people to be aware of the numerous complications that lie in the permit system. <br />NPDES is designed to monitor point sources of discharge, which is not what the county has. <br />This is arguably what led to the Supreme Court case, which had to address this unique scenario <br />where waste leaks permeate through porous basalt substrate and into the ocean through <br />submarine groundwater discharges. While there are some mechanisms in place to deal with <br />this, they are not adequately designed for our situation. It would be helpful to seek a public- <br />private partnership or some mechanism where you remove the actions that are in violation. So <br />if the county were recycling the water, or for all intents and purposes avoiding injecting the <br />waste, whereas now we are using a mechanism that is exceptionally difficult to monitor for a <br />permit, the county would be covering all bases but not injecting the waste into the <br />groundwater. It is a knee-jerk reaction to think you just need permits and are good to go. That <br />will always be problematic, as there are not many monitoring mechanisms designed for the <br />type of water systems we have in Hawaiʻi. <br /> <br /> Commissioner Adams said the county needs a general water management plan. <br />Holistically the bottom line is zero waste, whether it is liquid or solid waste. Reusing the water <br />and keeping it clean enough for appropriate use, with a price that is affordable, is the goal. <br /> <br /> Chair Pequeño said there is a water plan, but it is only for drinking water. The issue of a <br />plan for reclaimed water is complicated and a gray area. Once DEM starts distributing <br />reclaimed water as planned, then it will be a supplier of water and there is an opportunity to <br />overlap or connect with the Department of Water Supply, which does not at this time have <br />reclaimed water in their purview. <br /> <br /> Commissioner Burns said the island has an extremely complex hydrological system. The <br />ʻIke Wai Project has taken many samples and has found that it is very difficult to trace the <br />movement of water because of the nature of the island and the interaction between fresh and <br />salt water. The difficulty of an NPDES permit is partly why there aren’t more of them. There <br />should be a direct focus on how to get around the violation of the legal rule without having to <br />rely on permits that are not designed to detect and trace the outflow. Something creative is <br />needed, but it needs to be clear that monitoring is extremely difficult, so just eliminating the <br />problem is going to be the best approach. <br /> <br /> Chair Pequeño felt the commission’s first attempt should be with DEM, and from there <br />send a letter through Director Kucharski to the Council, asking for resources and support in <br />setting up a plan. <br />6 <br /> <br />