Hawaii Shoreline Closed After Sewage Spill
A wastewater spill has temporarily closed part of the shoreline on Hawaii Island for ocean activities, following a system malfunction at the Papaikou Treatment Plant. Local residents and visitors are advised to avoid affected areas until remediation is complete.
- Up to 98,300 gallons of wastewater that was fully treated but insufficiently disinfected were released due to a malfunction in the automated disinfection system. - The shoreline closure extends from Lyman Bay, also known as Mill Beach, to Waipahi Point as a precautionary measure. - This is not the first incident at the facility; in March 2021, heavy rains caused a discharge of 400,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater. Another spill in October 2013 released 30,500 gallons of partially treated sewage due to an equipment breakdown. - In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the County of Hawai'i to address operational deficiencies and aging infrastructure at the Pāpaʻikou plant and two other facilities. - Sewage pollution poses a significant threat to Hawai'i's marine ecosystems by introducing harmful bacteria and nitrogen, which can smother coral reefs by promoting excessive algae growth. - Hawai'i faces broader wastewater infrastructure challenges, with roughly 88,000 households still using cesspools that release an estimated 53 million gallons of untreated sewage into the ground daily.
