Preliminary results from investigation of injection wells at Lahaina wastewater facility

Tracer dye detected in offshore seeps

HONOLULU - The E.P.A. released preliminary results from an ongoing investigation by federal and state agencies to evaluate the fate of effluent from the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility near the Kaanapali coast of Maui.

According to the interim report one of 2 tracer dyes introduced in the wells was detected at the coastal seeps, located roughly one-half mile southwest of the Lahaina facility and between three and 25 meters from shore. The dye detection establishes a hydrologic connection between the Lahaina facility's treated wastewater injection wells and the monitored submarine seeps. The studies are inconclusive for detection of the 2nd tracer dye, although data collection at the seeps continues.

While the report confirms a hydrologic connection between the injection wells and the near-shore seeps, monthly sampling of the seeps by Hawaii Department of Health has detected no bacterial indicators. In addition, DOH monitoring near the seeps indicates bacterial levels that are low or non-existent, and well within the range considered safe for swimming. In 2011, E.P.A. required the Co. of Maui to increase their level of wastewater disinfection prior to injection. In addition, the Co. is on schedule to meet E.P.A. requirements to achieve full ultraviolet disinfection of all wastewater at the Lahaina facility by December 2013.

"We now have a much better understanding of the movement of the wastewater injected in Lahaina," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "Although we continue to collect and analyze data, the findings underscore the need for E.P.A. and the Hawaii Department Health to consider any and all regulatory tools to ensure protection of public health and the marine habitat, including nearby coral reefs, in West Maui."

It took just under 3 months for the tracer dye to 1st appear at the seeps, however, the results suggest an average travel time from the injection wells to the submarine seeps in excess of 7 months. Additional key results include the temperature, salinity, pH, nutrient concentrations, and discharge rate of the monitored submarine discharges.

Funded by the U. S. EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Hawaii Department of Health, the University of Hawaii has been studying the effluent flow from Lahaina's injection wells to the near-shore ocean water since July 2011. The researchers will continue to collect data from water samples from the identified discharge points through the end of 2012. They will also continue their data analysis and modeling to clarify the processes that affect the transport of the treated wastewater effluent and its eventual discharge into the marine environment. A final report on the results of the tracer dye study is expected in June 2013.

To see the Interim Report, please visit: www.epa.gov/region9/water/groundwater/uic-permits.html#lahaina

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