FW: NEWS RELEASE: DOH warns about contaminated water in drainage ditch near Waianae Mall
Dodie Rivera
Aloha LHC,
Please see the DOH release below. Mahalo
Dodie Rivera MSN, RN
Case Management Supervisor
Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
86-260 Farrington Hwy.
Waianae, HI 96792
Fax (808) 697-3679
email: dri...@wcchc.com
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From: DOH.dirclerk
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2018 2:23 PM
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: DOH warns about contaminated water in drainage ditch near Waianae Mall
Attention all DOH employees, the following is provided for your information and sharing. You are encouraged to send out this information widely to all community partners, and others that may be interested in DOH activities. E-mail administrators please distribute. This e-mail address does not reply to inquiries.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR
VIRGINIA PRESSLER, M.D.
DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2018 18-014
Department of Health warns public about contaminated water in drainage ditch near Waianae Mall
HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) is warning the public stay out of sewage contaminated water that has collected in a drainage ditch located in a residential area near Waianae Mall that terminates at the Lualualei Beach Park. Warning signs have been posted on either end of the drainage ditch. The warning signs are posted on the West side of the drainage ditch within the Lualualei Beach Park and on Farrington Hwy.
The public is advised to avoid contact with the water within the drainage ditch as it is a mixture of sewage and storm water. The discharge is not believed to have reached coastal waters.
The DOH Clean Water Branch began investigating a sewage spill from a private commercial property located along Farrington Hwy., across from Ala Poko St. in Waianae Mall on Feb. 6, 2018. It is estimated the spill may have involved more than 10,000 gallons of raw sewage discharged from a damaged sewer pipe. The sewage flowed from the broken lateral onto Farrington Highway before collecting in a drainage ditch that ends at the Lualualei Beach Park.
The Clean Water Branch has notified the owners of the damaged sewage lateral who are required to remove contaminated water from the drainage ditch to prevent further damage to the environment and risk to human health. The Clean Water Branch is continuing to monitor the area and investigate the cause of the sewage spill.
The DOH Clean Water Branch responds to sewage spills which reach state waters. The Clean Water Branch protects public health and the environment by prohibiting discharges which impair water quality, keeping Hawaii’s waters fishable and swimmable for everyone. Owners and operators of wastewater systems must comply with environmental regulations that are in place to protect the public. Failure to do results in legal action by the state, federal partners and/or private citizens.
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