Sewer spills reached historic low in 2018

Sewer spills were at a historic low last year amid ongoing monitoring and proactive measures taken by the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services.

“This is a true testament to the city’s Department of Environmental Services and each employee who worked extremely hard to implement a comprehensive program to effectively manage and improve the resiliency of the city’s wastewater system,” Mayor Kirk Caldwell said today in a statement. “The evidence of their efforts is clear with the historically low number of sewer spills the city experienced last year.”

Only 44 spills came from city assets in 2018, a decline of 18.5 percent from 2017 and down 78 percent from 2006 when 200 spills were recorded. The city’s wastewater system consists of 2,100 miles of collection system piping, 70 wastewater pumping stations, and nine wastewater treatment facilities.

“I am very proud of what we have accomplished,” Environmental Services Director Lori Kahikina said. “Our program focuses on proactive maintenance and assessment, and when overflows do occur, our resources and protocols ensure that we can effectively respond, control, and mitigate each event in a timely manner. These features are hallmarks of a healthy municipal wastewater management program.”