Contents

Welcome to the May 2005 ENV eNews!

Meet the New Directors

Dr. Eric S. Takamura, P.E., Director
Solutions for solid waste disposal and the renewal of permits for the Sand Island and Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plants are top priorities for Dr. Eric Takamura, newly appointed director of the Department of Environmental Services (ENV).

After his four-month initiation as acting director, Takamura says ENV’s biggest challenges will be “to find solutions to the growing volume of solid waste that requires disposal, and the renewal of the City's 301h permits for both Sand Island and Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plants coupled with the Sierra Club lawsuit.” Takamura says he looks forward to discussing the Department’s options and his own perspectives with the public.

Takamura brings both academic and private sector credentials in environmental engineering to his new post.

He was assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at both Portland State University and the University of Hawaii; assistant general manager of Kuilima Development Company, and project manager for R.M. Towill Corporation. Most recently, he was vice president and chief operating officer of Environet, Inc., a local engineering firm.

Takamura holds a doctor of philosophy in environmental health engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of science with honors in civil engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Kenneth A. Shimizu, Deputy Director
Ken Shimizu brings well-honed experience as a controller and business owner to ENV, where he oversees the day-to-day operation and management of the Department. Before joining ENV, he was president and chief executive officer of Retail Solutions, Inc., an Aiea information technology firm. At ENV he puts to use both his knowledge of corporate administrative and financial functions and a penchant for customer service.

Shimizu holds a bachelor of business administration in finance from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was appointed deputy director on January 3, 2005.

Basic Wastewater System Needs Addressed
Dr. Eric Takamura

Wastewater treatment and disposal is a basic city service.

Every day ENV’s wastewater divisions collect and dispose of 115 million gallons of wastewater on this island. The task is enormous. The sewer system in many places is 60-70 years old. We need to make improvements now.

The City has not raised sewer fees since 1994. This year, we have called for sewer fund increases over the next six years. In the first year, the average homeowner would see monthly rates rise $8, from $33 to $41. That’s about 25 percent. A rise of 10 percent would follow in each of the next five years.

Our mayor has pledged that this sewer fee money will only be used for fixing sewers.

We are continuing with our 20-year Sewer Rehabilitation Plan. This plan contains mandated improvements that directly affect our ability to reduce and control sewage spills and maintain water quality standards.

This year we are proposing a 5-point plan for sewage work, addressing priority areas first. We have already committed the funding for these projects.

· $30 million to replace Beach Walk force main and sewer lines along Ala Wai Boulevard in Waikiki
· $21 million to line or replace sewage pipes in Saint Louis Heights
· $10 million to replace the Niu Valley force main that broke three times in February
· $15 million to complete sewer reconstruction in Kailua on Kalaheo Avenue (ongoing)
· $18 million for pipeline in the Wanaao Road and Keolu Drive areas in Kailua and Enchanted Lake
· $17 million for Waimalu sewer rehabilitation in Pearl City

In all, we are committing immediately some $130 million to upgrade the sewer collection system in high priority areas and $330 million to upgrade and expand Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, which handles the lion’s share of the city ’s sewage.

We will be doing more maintenance, re-prioritizing workers, assigning more crew to areas with more problems. We are doing everything we can to accelerate the work and make sure the system is operating as it should, that we meet our mandates, and continue to move to providing a quality system to the community.

We have reduced spills from 465 in 1994 to 183 in 2003. However, large spills of over 1,000 gallons have plagued us in recent years.

We are seeking federal funding for additional work in 2006 and beyond.

ENV is committed to the stewardship of our public health and environment through sound wastewater management practices. These funds are needed and will be used to put our wastewater infrastructure on sound footing.

City Launches Operation Fix

FIX stands for “Fast, Immediate and Expedited." That’s Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s plan for addressing long-standing problems with Oahu’s municipal wastewater treatment system.

Operation FIX is a general strategy for improving the City’s ability to meet current requirements as well as the terms of the 1995 consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency, in which Honolulu agreed to make major improvements over a 20-year time span. The mayor met with EPA officials recently to describe the program. He said they lauded the City ’s plan as ambitious and bold.

“We are working as quickly as we can to rectify the problems that have accumulated through the years, ” Hannemann said.

The City has proposed sewer rate increases to move the plan forward (following story) and at the same time is engaged in a lawsuit over sewers brought by the Sierra Club and Hawaii’s Thousand Friends. That lawsuit involves Honolulu’s exemption from federal Clean Water requirements that wastewater must undergo “secondary treatment” before it is released into the ocean. The Sand Island and Honouliuliu Wastewater Treatment Plants have operated for years under EPA-approved waivers that allow them to perform “primary treatment.”

The City’s five-point program to repair Honolulu’s wastewater system follows.

Operation FIX (Fast, Immediate, eXpedited)

A five-point program to repair Honolulu ’s wastewater system

1. Develop a strategic action plan

a. Establish the Operation FIX Working Group with representatives from the City Department of Environmental Services, Department of Design and Construction, Department of the Corporation Counsel, Department of Facility Maintenance, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and outside experts in the law, engineering and toxicology.

b. The working group will assess the condition of Honolulu’s wastewater system and City compliance with permit requirements, consent decrees and administrative orders, and will make recommendations to the mayor for capital improvements and related budget decisions.

c. The working group will evaluate the proposal now before the City Charter Commission to merge wastewater functions into the Board of Water Supply.

2. Maximize productivity of capital improvement efforts

a. Implement “design/build” projects to fast-track capital improvements.

b. Identify critical projects and initiate emergency purchasing procurement to execute and complete projects expeditiously under the “design/build” approach.

c. Resolve salary disparity issues to retard the loss of City engineers and workers to the state, federal and private sectors and assess consolidation of wastewater personnel.

d. Complete Kalaheo phase 1 in Kailua ($50 million). Begin actual work on the Beachwalk force main replacement in Waikiki ($30 million); St. Louis Heights main replacement ($20 million); Waimalu sewer rehabilitation ($15 million); Kuliouou sewer rehab ($6.5 million), and expedited replacement of the Niu force main ($10 million).

3. Maximize productivity and capability of operations and maintenance

a. Create a single management operations center at Halawa under one supervisor. The current three supervisors (Leeward, Metro, Windward) will report to one chief engineer for better coordination.\

b. Expand and update training programs and maintenance procedures, e.g., cleaning and spill response.

c. Upgrade technology to effectively track repair and maintenance projects and their effectiveness.

d. Purchase more efficient cleaning equipment to increase productivity.

4. Recommend a schedule for increased sewer fees

As Mayor Mufi Hannemann said in his State of the City address in February, he is proposing increases in monthly sewer fees as follows:

FY 2006 25% (from $33/month to $45/month)
FY 2007 10%
FY 2008 10%
FY 2009 10%
FY 2010 10%
FY 2011 10%

The increases are necessary for capital improvements, debt service repayment, salary adjustments, filling employee vacancies, defending against the pending Sierra Club lawsuit and threatened enforcement actions and upgrading the workforce and aging infrastructure. The sewer fund will only be used for sewer-related expenses.

5. Create and foster a proactive work environment and public education program.

a. Establish a more open dialogue and relationship with the regulators at the Hawaii Department of Health and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

b. Create a more cooperative and open relationship with Hawaii’s congressional delegation, state officials and the Honolulu City Council.

c. Educate the public about the City ’s environmental infrastructure needs.

d. Immediately report spills to public/press, and have a senior manager at the site to answer questions.

Sewer Rate Increase Proposed --
“It's like keeping your home in good repair”

Mayor Mufi Hannemann is proposing a 25 percent increase in sewer fees for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and 10 percent for each of the following five years, to fund the needed improvements. More than half of his capital improvements budget for the next fiscal year -- $241 million -- would go to wastewater treatment work.

There has been no increase in sewer fees since 1993. The City spent millions on sewer improvements over the past 12 years, and reduced sewage spills significantly, from 465 in 1994 to 183 in 2003.

“Yet we continue to have much to do,” says ENV Director Eric Takamura. “It’s like keeping your home or your car in good repair. If we do not spend the money now, we will end up spending even more in the future. ”

Our Wastewater Collection System -- why sewer rate increases are necessary.

1. Why are sewer rate increases necessary now?
There has been no increase in sewer fees since 1993. We spent millions on sewer improvements over the past 12 years, and we reduced sewage spills significantly, from 465 in 1994 to 183 in 2003. Yet we continue to have much to do. Many parts of the collection system are old and in need of frequent maintenance. At the same time we have agreed with regulators to upgrade and improve our collection system by 2019. The cost of almost everything has gone up as well -- electricity, fuel, salaries, benefits, and debt service to bonds already initiated. It is necessary to makeup for lost time.

2. What increases does the City recommend?
Twenty-five percent for the first year, and10% increases every year for the next 5 years. The money raised will be placed in the city Sewer Fund, to be used only for sewer-related expenses. It’s like keeping your home or your car in good repair. If we do not spend the money now, we will end up spending even more in the future.

3. How will the funds be used?
Sewer fees are used for operation and maintenance; capital improvements, including upgrading aging infrastructure; debt service repayment; staffing and salary adjustments, and legal fees to defend against the pending lawsuit. There is a great need for capital improvements. Therefore, half of the city’s capital improvement budget for FY2006 goes to sewer system construction. Additionally, we need to train crews in better techniques, do root control, reduce inflow from rainwater, and reduce grease coming into the system. We will be doing more maintenance, re-prioritizing work, assigning crews in a more flexible way.

4. Why does sewer work take so long?
We are working as quickly as we can to rectify problems that have accumulated through the years. But we can’t do everything at once. ENV workers have done a yeoman’s job, but there’s only so much they can do to maintain the existing system. Much of Oahu’s collection system is 60-70 years old. The work that’s needed could not be done all at once, even if money were no object. Much of it is sequential in nature. Repairs in one area may uncover unexpected problems in another. Emergencies also have to be dealt with. Whenever that happens, we reassess the situation, reprioritize and redistribute our resources.

5. How will this improve efficiency and other positive results?
Our directive is to do everything we can to accelerate the work and make sure the system is operating as it should, to meet our permit requirements, to get all outstanding work done as soon as possible, and to continue to improve the quality of the system. Improving the system will help prevent spills and therefore protect both public health and our environment, particularly our beaches. The public will also see how important this work is, and what people can do to help. Another benefit from a multi-year package of rate increases, we hope, will be a higher bond rating for wastewater bonds, which reduces the overall cost of projects.

Smoke Testing Proving Effective
The good news is -- smoke test results show most residential sewer line problems are easy to fix

Most of the sewer line problems identified by the City (75%) are easy and inexpensive to fix. A broken or missing cleanout cap, the most common culprit, costs about $15 and is sold at hardware stores.

Smoke testing, in case it has not yet come to your area, is when City crews blow smoke into the sewer lines and record where it comes out. If there are breaks in the pipes or missing cleanout caps, white smoke escapes through the openings, identifying places where rainwater can enter the sewer lines. Excessive amounts of rainwater in the system cause pipes to rupture and raw sewage to be spilled. Section 14-1.9(a) of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu states, “No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any storm water, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, or any other source of inflow into any public sewer…”

Smoke testing began in May 2004. Parts of Manoa and Enchanted Lake are next on the smoke test schedule (April 26-29 and May 3-6.)

Of the 7,500+ private properties tested so far, seven percent have leaks from faulty pipes, missing cleanout caps or illegal connections to the sewer line. The good news is that the majority of the problems identified (75%) are easy and inexpensive to fix. A cleanout cap, the most common culprit, costs about $15 and is sold at hardware stores. The bad news -- only two percent have been fixed.

While the numbers may not seem monumental, the amount of excess water coming into the system through each of these entry points adds up. And 50 percent of it, studies show, comes from private property. Our sewer lines were not built nor do they have the capacity to handle the overload.

Homeowners now need to correct the problems for actual change to take place.

Three things you can do to help:
1. Replace cracked or missing sewer line cleanout caps.
2. Make sure that property yard drains and downspouts are not illegally connected to sewer line.
3. Fix cracked and broken house-to-sewer laterals.

Smoke testing began in May 2004. During the past year, 7,586 private properties in Foster Village, Waimalu, Kailua, Kaneohe, and Manoa were smoke tested. Results:
· Broken or missing lateral pipe cleanout caps: 351
· Illegal connection of rain gutters and yard drains to the sewer system: 44
· Cracked or broken house-to-sewer laterals: 132. Broken laterals allow raw sewage to leak out into the ground and rainwater to seep in.

Sewage spills are dangerous to the environment and expensive for taxpayers. ENV is determined to identify properties all over the island that have leaky pipes and notify owners about correcting them. Residents will be notified by mail and with a door hanger on homes before the smoke testing begins. Follow-up letters will be sent to those homeowners with sewer line problems.

Taking Recycling to the Next Level

Curbside recycling, beverage container deposits and community drop-off bins are complementary components of the City’s efforts to bring recycling rates to new levels.

Our goal is to reduce and eventually eliminate our reliance on landfills by increasing recycling, expanding H-POWER and exploring emerging waste technologies. We’ve made progress; over the past 15 years, recycling rates have increased five-fold from about 100,000 tons in 1990 to a current rate of 500,000 tons per year. Most of the increase stems from commercial sector mandates and recycling activity. To bring us to the next level, we need to be far more aggressive, especially in the residential sector.

Curbside recycling is expected to capture about 30,000 tons of recyclable material annually from 160,000 homes; the deposit program, an additional 33,000 tons. Curbside recycling offers a convenient collection program to all of us in single-family homes. The deposit program is already stimulating collection activity in condos, commercial facilities, beaches, parks, schools, military bases and our visitor industry. The community recycling bin program will continue to provide recycling depots around the island, encourage environmental education in the schools, and generate funds to support the schools and educational efforts.

Those who live in single-family homes will have the option of the curbside service or a redemption center for beverage containers. These programs are not in competition with one another. By far, the bulk of what ENV collects curbside will be paper (70%), with or without the beverage containers. If you choose to return your beverage containers to redemption centers to get your nickels back (which most will likely choose), the curbside system will remain a viable program. If you choose the convenience of curbside collection for your beverage containers (as some are expected to do), then the City will receive the 5-cent deposits, and it will offset (lower) the program's operating costs.

In other communities where both curbside and deposit programs are in play, about 10 percent of the beverage containers are collected curbside. Portland, Oregon collects 8 percent of its deposit containers through curbside systems and San Francisco collects 14 percent in curbside.

Read on to help start up recycling programs in your neighborhood, school or non-profit organization.

Trash Updates

Get Ready (Again) for Curbside Recycling
Tentative start date for curbside recycling in Mililani and Wahiawa (Phase 1) is June 2005; North Shore and Windward communities (Phase 2) will follow. The City has already delivered blue recycling carts to the 50,000 homes in these communities and will mail collection schedules as soon as routes and start dates are finalized. The remainder of the island (Phases 3-6) will receive a schedule with delivery of the blue carts, tentatively scheduled for this fall.

Beverage Container Deposits Fuel Recycling Fundraisers
Cash returns from the deposit beverage container program are attracting people who want to raise money for their schools, condominiums and non-profit groups -- or just clean up the environment. More and more groups are raising funds by collecting plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The City is helping by offering schools and non-profits the 96-gallon carts that were used in the Mililani pilot curbside project. Condominium complexes may also set up no-cost or low-cost collection services for their recyclables. For more information, click here.

Look for a Beverage Container Deposit Redemption Center Near You
New community redemption centers and extended hours of operation are invigorating the recycling effort. Many new locations have opened since the program’s January start, making it easier and more convenient to redeem the empty containers. For a complete listing of redemption centers on Oahu, click here.

‘Opala Nui Clean Out’ to Go Islandwide
Something BIG is leaving our neighborhoods! The Oahu Opala Nui Clean Out -- big, bulky trash -- begins with Waianae and will move around the island until everyone’s had a chance to get rid of accumulated big stuff, such as furniture, washers and dryers.

The Clean Out is the first step. Next will be regularly scheduled, monthly bulky item collection for all Oahu homes. (Federal and state housing are excluded, as are businesses.) Mayor Mufi Hannemann has made bulky item pickup for all the island a priority. Until now, only metropolitan Honolulu had regularly scheduled bulky pickup. The new service will replace the "on-call" system required on the rest of the island.

The benefits of regular bulky item pickup are huge for our communities. Oahu's streets and sidewalks can be clutter-free and safe, and will significantly reduce illegal dumping.

The Waianae Coast (Sector One) launched the Opala Nui Clean Out in March. Once it’s completed, start dates for regular monthly pickup for Waianae will be announced. Regular monthly collection will be phased-in gradually around the island, with an Opala Nui Clean Out preceding each area's startup. Click here to learn more.

H-POWER to Undergo Annual Maintenance Outage
Commercial refuse haulers and homeowners on “dump runs” will notice an increase in activity at the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill from April 15 through May 20 when H-POWER is closed for maintenance. During this time, homeowners’ use of the landfill will be limited to 12:00 – 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the diversion of refuse trucks from H-POWER. Homeowners are encouraged to use Waianae Convenience Center or Ewa Convenience Center instead. Click here for more information about H-POWER or here for more information about the City’s Refuse and Recycling Convenience Centers.

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Comes to Oahu
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), a nonprofit organization founded by the rechargeable power industry has launched its “Charge Up To Recycle!” program on Oahu. Rechargeable batteries from cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders and other portable electronic equipment may be dropped off at all Radio Shack and Home Depot locations on Oahu. Look for the RBRC recycling boxes in these stores. Click here for more information.

Tour de Trash 2005-06 -- Sign Up Now!
Heads up to all those interested in getting ‘up close and personal’ with our island’s trash and recycling operations. ENV’s popular Tour de Trash 2005-06 schedule will be out soon. These monthly tours of Oahu’s recyclers, waste processors, and businesses that practice responsible waste management are fully booked for May, June and July. Anyone who’s interested should call now and get on the wait list -- 768-3200 -- in case of cancellations or to receive advance notice of the new schedule. For more information, click here.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Set for July
Wondering how to properly dispose of the old, leftover household chemicals in your garage? Some items may be disposed with your regular trash or down the drain, once you have properly prepared them. Others require special handling by a licensed hazardous waste contractor at the City’s quarterly drop-off event. But by far, the best method for managing household hazardous waste is to prevent it in the first place. Buy only what you need and use it all. Give away unwanted products. Use non-hazardous alternatives. Please call 768-3201 or click here for a list of common items you may dispose on your own and those that require an appointment with the City’s next drop-off event, planned for July.

Cell Phone Recycling Online Resources
Unwanted cell phones are another source for recycling funds. A number of online resources are available to those looking to recycle old cell phones. Click here for a listing of the best.

Awards and Recognition
ENV’s public education campaigns for illegal dumping and curbside recycling have been recognized by virtually all communication disciplines: the Hawaii Advertising Federation (HAF), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The "Don't Dump on Hawaii" campaign received an Ilima Award of Excellence. The Mililani Pilot Curbside Recycling Program educational brochure was honored with a Pele Award, and the "Blue Cart" TV public service announcement was recognized with an Ilima Award of Merit. Marketing courses at Hawaii Pacific University are using the Mililani Pilot Project as a case study.

Earth Month Activities
Look for upcoming special issue

Later this month we will issue a special Earth Month Activities eNews, filled with photo highlights of the many April activities, including Tour de Trash, Kamaaina Kids’ Cash for Trash/Kala for Opala recycling effort and litter clean-up, Jack Johnson’s Kokua Festival, Botball Robotics Tournament, Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School Community Day (Mayor attended), Oahu Worm Club, Hawaiian Earth Products Greencycling Workshop, and Keep (Oahu) America Beautiful, and more.

If you would like your organization's Earth Month activities featured in this special edition, please email photos and captions to abien@honolulu.gov before May 16.