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<br />department. If Councilmember Eoff was asking the EMC to specifically to look into policy, then <br />it would be fine to send it to her. <br /> <br /> Motion and second: Commissioner Olson moved to provide Councilmember Eoff with <br />the Policy Proposal Suggestions. Commissioner Fear seconded the motion. <br /> <br /> Motion amended: Commissioner Olson restated the motion and moved that the EMC <br />provide Councilmember Eoff with the policy proposal suggestions drafted herein. <br /> <br /> Vice Chair Bennett wanted to amend the motion to include that the Council consider a <br />Charter amendment that would integrate the DWS within the County government. <br />Commissioner Olson said that was beyond their scope and not a job for the EMC. Ms. Wong <br />said the draft could be amended to add that in, and Vice Chair Bennett said that’s what he was <br />proposing. <br /> <br /> Motion seconded: Commissioner Fear seconded the motion. <br /> <br /> Vote: All members present voted aye. <br /> <br />c. Brief presentation by Vice Chair Bennett on disinfection technology and <br />terminology consistency recommendation. <br /> <br /> Vice Chair Bennett said he thought it would be useful to spend a little time and create <br />some distinctions about what disinfection is. He had several handouts presented to the <br />commissioners. <br /> <br /> Regarding water sanitation, drinking water is a huge and significant public health issue <br />globally. The United States does a good job at it with effective disinfection regulations. He <br />explained how water that is high in organic material is harder to disinfect. Organic material has <br />to be removed, which is what the water treatment process does. After it is disinfected, it should <br />have no detectable coliform bacteria and zero E. coli. Agencies achieve the disinfection by <br />chlorinating the drinking water. However, chlorine is a known carcinogen and also has health <br />consequences as it reacts with organics. Large municipal water agencies have moved away from <br />chlorine and use peroxide and ozone, which don’t have the chlorine effects. <br /> <br /> Vice Chair Bennett went on to explain the definitions of “sterile” and “to disinfect” in <br />terms of water and wastewater, and what “R-1,” “R-2,” and “R-3” water is. The information will <br />be helpful as they move into the issue of water reclamation. Microbial safety will keep coming <br />up. It is important that the EMC and any agency working with this, as well as consultants, be <br />real clear on what disinfection is. One proposal that comes out of this work is that all municipal <br />wastewater be disinfected to the R-1 level. Individual waste systems do not do that. Significant <br />amounts of potentially disease causing organisms are being discharged into the environment. <br />Hawaiʻi is unique in that we have an ocean where people spend a lot of time. Contact time in the <br />ocean is a risk factor that does not get put into the equation when microbial water standards are <br />set. He’s been hearing reports about surfers, who swallow ocean water, for 30 years. The policy <br />proposal that the County of Hawaiʻi disinfect all wastewater to the R-1 level is a big step. <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />