WASTEWATER SYSTEMS
NOTICE OF
VARIANCE APPLICATION NO. W W 212
DOCKET NO. 06 – V W W – 01

Pursuant to H.R.S., §342D-7(i), Hawaii Revised Statutes, the State Department of Health (DOH) seeks written comments from interested persons regarding the following. Ms. Dixie Kaetsu, Managing Director of the County of Hawaii, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo Hawaii 96720, has applied for a variance, for the maximum of five (5) years from Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) from Section 11-62-03 Definitions, Section 11-62-31.1 (a)(2)(A), (B) and (D) pertaining to wastewater flows not exceeding 1,000 gallons per day per system, total wastewater flows not exceeding 15,000 gallons per day and the minimum land area of 10,000 square feet for each wastewater system and Section 11-62-05(c) pertaining to proposed cesspools in any designated critical wastewater disposal area.
Ms. Dixie Kaetsu, is the authorized applicant for the application. The applicant is requesting the use of an individual wastewater system (IWS) such as a septic tank system to replace the large capacity cesspools in the Kau camps and other County Facilities. Also, it is proposed that individual cesspools be used to replace the existing large capacity cesspools in the Keaau and Waiakea Uka camps. The TMKs are (3) 1-6-143, 1-6-147, 1-6-149, 1-7-028 and 2-4-020.
The Applicant has made the following comments.
1. It is proposed that septic tanks be built to replace the large capacity cesspools. A variance is needed since Naalehu and Pahala camps and other County facilities generate more than 1,000 gallons of wastewater per day and in the case of the some of the camps, more than 15,000 gpd. The proposed septic tank systems will be constructed in accordance with Chapter 11-62, Subchapter 3, except for the setback requirements in some instances. The variance is also needed for the proposed individual cesspools for the Keaau and Waiakea Uka plantation camps since the single family residential lots are less than the required one acre.
2. This application is to amend a previous variance which was granted for the proposed wastewater systems which will serve the Kau, Keaau and Waiakea Uka plantation camps, and the County of Hawaii (“County”) office facilities. The significant amendments involve the inclusion of the Waiakea Uka camp and the revisions to the County facilities. The Kau, Keeau, and Waiakea Uka plantation camps were probably built over a hundred years ago for the purpose of providing housing for sugar plantation workers for the Hutchinson, Olaa and Waiakea Sugar Companies, respectively. As a result of the closing of the sugar operations, the Kau, Keaau, and Waiakea Uka plantation camps were subdivided and sold fee simple to the plantation workers. The camps consist of seven (7) separate communities as follows:
Kau Camps
1) Pahala 114 lots
2) Naalehu 165 lots
Keaau Camps
1) 8 1/2 Mile Camp 47 lots
2) 9 Mile Camp 39 lots
3) 9 1/2 Mile Camp 54 lots
4) Iwasaki Camp 47 lots
Waiakea Uka
1) Camp 6 50 lots
Total: 516 lots
The camps consist of a total of about 516 lots which presently have single family dwellings except for a few commercial lots. Essentially the camps are served by community sewer systems which utilize gang cesspools or large capacity cesspools for disposal. The proposed wastewater systems for the Keaau and Waiakea Uka camps are individual cesspools which will be owned and operated by the individual residents. The proposed wastewater systems for the Kau Camps are community septic tank systems which will be owned and operated by the County.
There are approximately 23 office facilities that the County operates including police and fire stations and maintenance shops. Such facilities which are currently not connected to the public sewer system are utilizing large capacity cesspools for waste- water disposal. The proposed wastewater systems for the County facilities are septic tank systems. The list of County offices and locations are shown in the following pages.
In accordance with Federal Regulations, 40 CFR 144-146, the large capacity cesspools must be eliminated by April 5 2005. The request for variance is from Section 11-62-03, Section 11-62-31.1(a)(2)(A), (B), and (D) and Section 11-62-05(c).
It is proposed that septic tanks be used to replace the existing large capacity cesspools. A variance is needed since the Kau camps and County facilities generate more than 1,000 gallons of wastewater per day and, in the case of some of the camps, more than 15,000 gpd. Due to the relatively small sizes of some of the lots and the fact that most of the lots are well developed, a variance from the set back requirements of Section 11-62-32 (Table ll) is also being requested for some of the smaller lots. There may be other provisions of Chapter 11-62 that may apply to the conceptual use of septic tanks for the said facilities.
According to the CWDA maps, the Keaau and Waiakea Uka camps are located in critical wastewater disposal areas with one acre lot exceptions. It is proposed that individual cesspools be used to replace the existing large capacity cesspools in the Keaau and Waiakea Uka camps. A variance is needed since the lots in these camps are significantly less than one acre. Due to the relatively small sizes of some of the lots and the fact that most of the lots are well developed, a variance from the set back requirements of Section 11-62-32 (Table ll) is also being requested for some of the smaller lots.
3. The variance has been requested for the maximum of five (5) years.
There are several more pages of written documentation and plot maps attached to the application for variance but can not be shown here due to their length. If you would like to review the full application including attachments, please call or write to the Wastewater Branch, 919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 309, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814-4920, telephone (808) 586-4294 or fax (808) 586-4300 to obtain a copy or facsimile.
DOH will consider all written comments received within thirty days of this notice. If warranted, DOH may hold a public hearing on the variance application, after a separate thirty day public notice. The final decision will be made on the basis of the application, related documents, written comments and the public hearing, if any.

Chiyome Leinaala Fukino, M.D.
Director of Health (SB05522187 4/7/06)