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HomeMy WebLinkAbout23-02-23 Pahala-Naalehu AOC Presentation FinalPāhala and Nā‘ālehu Large Capacity Cesspool Closures County of Hawai‘i February 23, 2023 Pāhala Community Center Agenda •Pule and introductions •Ground rules and purpose •Brief Historical background •Maps identifying properties within the project areas •Wastewater treatment terminology •Progress update since August 2022 meeting in Nā‘ālehu •Cesspool closure milestones •Semi-Annual Report Progress for July-December 2022 •Findings of the Feasibility Evaluation Report •What is a Preliminary Engineering Report? •Next Steps •Questions & answers Pule and Introductions •Welcome our kupuna -Pule •Community members and leaders •County of Hawai‘i personnel Ground rules •Please be respectful. •Place cell phones on mute/vibrate. •Please hold all questions until end of presentation. •The facilitator will recognize one person to speak at a time. •Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu residents will be given the opportunity to ask questions first and others to follow as time permits. All will be able to provide written comments and questions. •Questions should be held to 2 minutes. •Profanity or abusive language will not be tolerated. Purpose •Engage directly with community members about the status of the cesspool closure projects within both Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu. •Reinforce the County’s commitment to comply with the revised AOC. •Ask for your cooperation and support in seeing these projects through to completion. Brief Historical background •The County of Hawai‘i inherited ownership of plantation-era large capacity cesspools in Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu. •The federal Safe Drinking Water Act requires the closure of these large capacity cesspools. •Under a revised 2022 consent order, the County agrees to close these large capacity cesspools in Pāhala and in Nā‘ālehu to avoid significant penalties. •Prior to the closure dates, the County is responsible for identifying and providing approved wastewater treatment for 174 properties in Pāhala and 194 properties in Nā‘ālehu. x Pāhala lots Nā‘ālehu lots Wastewater treatment terminology •AOC: Administrative Order on Consent. Legally binding agreement approved in June 2017 between EPA and County; revised in August 2022. •Package plant: Pre-manufactured, self-contained treatment facilities used to treat wastewater in small communities. •Collection system: The public sewer system that collects wastewater from individual parcels and conveys it to a treatment plant. •SDWA: Safe Drinking Water Act •DOH: Hawai‘i Department of Health •Individual wastewater system (IWS): A decentralized system for treating wastewater on a parcel’s property. Allowed by DOH when a parcel is considered inaccessible to a wastewater collection system. Examples include septic systems and aerobic treatment units (ATU). Progress since August 2022 public meeting •October 18: Feasibility Evaluation Report submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency •November 7: Environmental Protection Agency accepts Feasibility Evaluation Report •Preliminary Engineering Report is being prepared •November –All soil percolation testing was completed in Pāhala to investigate ground suitability for leach fields. November 2022: Soil percolation testing at four Pāhala homes Pāhala cesspool closure milestones •✓Launch webpage –30 days after 8-22-22 (Aug. 12, 2022) •✓Initial public meeting –45 days after 8-22-22 (Aug. 31, 2022) •✓Feasibility Evaluation Report –60 days after 8-22-22 (Oct. 21, 2022) •Preliminary Engineering Report –180 days after approval of FER •Due May 6, 2023 •Environmental Information Document –180 days after approval of PER •Implementation Plan –30 days after approval of EID •Large Capacity Cesspool closure –No later than July 21, 2026 Nā‘ālehu cesspool closure milestones •✓Launch webpage –30 days after 8-22-22 (Aug. 12, 2022) •✓Initial public meeting –45 days after 8-22-22 (Aug. 31, 2022) •✓Feasibility Evaluation Report –60 days after 8-22-22 (Oct. 21, 2022) •Preliminary Engineering Report –180 days after approval of FER •Due September 3, 2023 •Environmental Information Document –365 days after approval of PER •Implementation Plan –60 days after approval of EID •Large Capacity Cesspool closure –No later than Dec. 31, 2027 Semi-Annual Report Progress for July-Dec 2022 •Feasibility Evaluation Report: Completed, submitted, approved •Pahala Preliminary Engineering Report: Ongoing •Consultant is evaluating options and presenting them to the County •Naalehu Preliminary Engineering Report: Being prepared •Environmental Information Document Preparation: Future action •Closure: Future action •County website: Updated monthly •Semi-annual public outreach meetings: Happening now Findings of the Feasibility Evaluation Report •The following four options are legally and technically feasible for both Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu and can be investigated further in the Preliminary Engineering Report: •Package wastewater treatment plant with new collection system •Package wastewater treatment plant with the existing collection system •Maintenance contract model with IWS •Operating permit model with IWS What is a Preliminary Engineering Report? •Will describe the project details for each feasible option: •The planning area •The planning period •Construction phases •Owner and operator of the facility and/or system •Location of facility and/or system, including a map •Design parameters (e.g. processes, flow diagrams, pipe lengths) •Project costs •Recommend preferred option A package plant is a small centralized wastewater treatment plant. Unlike the Individual Wastewater Systems shown on the next slide, wastewater is conveyed to a package plant through sewer laterals and mains. *The images on this slide and the next slide are for illustration only. The County has not made any decisions regarding the merits of one option or another. •Above left: Septic system for a small lot (the tank and seepage pit will be buried) •Above right: Conventional sized septic system & leach field •Right: An aerobic treatment unit, or ATU, is a type of individual wastewater system designed for small developments not accessible to a centralized sewer system. . Individual Wastewater Systems can be designed to fit different sizes of lots. What’s next? •Public outreach meetings will be held at minimum every February and August, but more frequently as needed •2023 meeting in Nā‘ālehu (date to be announced) •Briefing on the contents of the Preliminary Engineering Report for Pāhala •Next steps •Status update on the Preliminary Engineering Report for Nā‘ālehu •Notices will be mailed and emailed to our current contact list, posted to newspapers, the County webpage, and the two community centers in Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu. Resources for More Information •County website •https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/environmental- management/pahala-naalehu/ •EPA website •https://www.epa.gov/uic/closure-cesspools-pahala-and-naalehu- administrative-order-consent-county-hawaii •Reminder: Please sign in to ensure notification of future meetings Mahalo for your participation in tonight’s meeting Open for Questions https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/ environmental-management/pahala-naalehu/ 808 961 8099 cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov brenda.iokepa-moses@hawaiicounty.gov