HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) has issued a A Notice and Finding of Violation and Order to Goodfellow Bros., LLC, a contractor for the County of Hawaii’s Department of Environmental Management Wastewater Division, for allegedly discharging untreated domestic sewage into Reed’s Bay.
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Health officials say they were notified of the sewage spill on Nov. 30, 2020. Approximately 28,000 gallons of raw sewage had reportedly spilled from a sewer main while contractors accidentally punctured the pipe while installing a sidewalk. The spill, which DOH says occurred sometime between 12 p.m. and 12:20 p.m., entered the “Ice Pond” portion of Reed’s Bay.
“The discharge of raw sewage into state waters is unacceptable,” stated Keith Kawaoka, Deputy Director of Environmental Health, “When working near our beaches and streams, contractors need to take extra care and pay additional attention to the location of underground utilities.”
In response to the spill, bacterial monitoring was conducted around the spill site. Warning signs were posted for seven days until water quality returned to normal levels, says DOH.
The NOVO includes a requirement for Goodfellow Bros., LLC to provide a report that describes how spills will be prevented in the future and pay a penalty of $25,000.
Goodfellow Bros., LLC has twenty days to contest the findings and request a hearing.
