WAILUKU (AP) — Though wastewater has overflowed twice in two months at the entrance to one of Maui’s major tourism centers, resort officials say they have no complaints with how the county handled the stinky situations.
Wayne Hedani, president and general manager of the Kaanapali Operations Association, which manages the Kaanapali resort told the Maui News (http://bit.ly/1FB0EXd) that the county did a great job addressing the sewer issues in West Maui. He said the resort used to operate its own wastewater system, and spills happen.
“We understand that perspective,” he said Tuesday.
The most recent spill saw some wastewater overflow from a sewer manhole along Honoapiilani Highway into the Kaanapali Golf Courses pond.
On June 25 about 25,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed near the entrance of the Kaanapali resort, which witnesses say caused some people in the area to feel ill from the stench. On July 27, another 5,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed in the same area.
Workers from Roy’s Kaanapali and the Kaanapali Golf Courses said the stench has horrible.
The state Health Department said Maui County has done well controlling its wastewater spills. Janice Okubo, spokeswoman for the department, said the department recently released the county from a consent decree that was filed in 1999 over spills from the county’s sewer system. Since then the county has replaced the 1970s era force main under the Hanoapiilani Highway.
“We were surprised too,” said Matt Kurano of the enforcement section of the state Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch in light of the recent spill, years after the 2012 upgrade. “It happened at the same location.”