HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 149 04/07/1987 1984-1988 REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS
DATE : April 7 , 1987
PLACE : Councilroom
TIME : 10 :00 a .m.
Chairman and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Your Committee on Public Works to which was referred Communication
No . 1048 and its attached Bill No. 351 , reports as follows:
Bill 351 proposes to regulate the discharge of grease , fat and oil
into the County sewer system and to develop an acceptable sewer user
charge system designed to produce adequate revenues for the operation
and maintenance of this County ' s wastewater system .
Bill 351 regulates the discharge of grease , fat and oil into our
wastewater system by requiring source separation , its removal and
disposal , and record keeping of removal and disposal .
Bill 351 propose to establish an acceptable sewer user charge system
which would produce adequate revenues for the continued operation and
maintenance of this County ' s system at its present level without an
increase in the general fund subsidy and/or a decrease in the level
of maintenance. To do so , this measure proposed to:
1 . Increase the residential and service station sewer user
charges from $7 .50 to $10 .00 per unit .
2 . Increase the non-residential or commercial sewer user
charges from 65 percent to 85 percent of the water bill .
3 . Assess a minimum fee of $20 or $20/1000 gallons of
wastewater to private wastewater haulers for the discharge of
pumping waste into a municipal system.
Your Committee on Public Works has received testimony from the
Department of Public Works advising that concentrations of grease ,
fats , and oils do cause problems in our sewer system. Both the
Department of Health and the EPA representative have endorsed the
regulation of grease trap as a means of improving our system. Large
chunks of accummulated grease have restricted flow and caused lines
to back up. This bill proposes that establishments with grease traps
be made responsible for the proper removal and disposal of the
material collected in the grease traps and be required to maintain a
record of dates , amounts , and means of disposal of this collected
material . Your Committe has been advised that the Waste Management
Division of the Department of Public Works , upon adoption of this
ordinance , intends to notify all known users with grease traps of
this new ordinance and of the methods available to them for the
disposal of their collected grea•se .
PWC REPORT o;O , 149
ADOPTED: MAY 6_1987
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PWC-149 -2- April 7 , 1987
Your Committee has also been informed by the Department of Public
Works that the proposed user fee increases and the new assessment of
private haulers are in keeping with the EPA promulgated guidelines
that users be charge for the maintenance and operation of the
system. The proposed user fee increases are not designed to make our
present system self supporting. There are still people , who for
valid reasons such as the availabililty of service collector lines ,
cannot or are not hooked up to our sewer system. Because of this , a
portion of the sewer operating and maintnance costs shall continue to
be be picked up as a General Fund subsidy .
Your Committee on Public Works has reviewed Bill 351 and is in accord
with its intent and purpose. Your Committee did note a technical
drafting shortcoming in the amendment of Secton 21-7 . Your Committee
has amended Bill 351 and corrected this shortcoming by citing
Section 21-7 in its entirety with its proposed amendments . Your
Committee on Public works recommends adoption of Bill 351 , Draft 2 ,
on first reading by the County Council .
Ailf
MER E K. LAI, CH:ri' 0 AN
• I 1 5. • 164J.,
•USSELL S. KOKUBUN, VICE CHAIRMAN FRANK DE LUZ III , MEMBER
TAKASHI DOMI 0, MEMBER ROBERT N. HERKES , MEMBER
LA/GM