The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it has finished inspecting sanitary sewer lines in Lahaina following the Aug. 8 wildfires.
The EPA is supporting Maui County’s Water Supply and Environmental Management departments and the state Department of Health in the inspection of this critical infrastructure in the aftermath of the fire.
Karl Banks, EPA’s incident commander for Maui Wildfire Response, said in a news release that collaborative efforts in Lahaina continue “as we determine the most efficient paths forward.”
“Our shared goal is to see the people of Lahaina return to their homes with safe and reliable water service as soon as possible,” said Banks.
In all, the EPA evaluated 97,749 linear feet — the equivalent of 18.5 miles —
of lateral sanitary sewer lines over a month, flagging segments of concern.
To do so, EPA had to first use jet-propelled water to clear debris such as rocks and grease from the lines, then use a robotic, closed-
circuit camera to assess impacts from the fire.
The work will allow the county to prioritize emergency repairs, EPA said,
particularly the ones needed to protect the wastewater treatment plant from excess infiltration of water through damaged sewer pipes.
Of the total, nearly
8,200 feet was inaccessible, damaged or obstructed and awaits additional assessment by Maui County, said the EPA, which shared video footage with the county for review.
Shayne Agawa, director of Maui’s Department of Environmental Management, expressed gratitude for the EPA’s help in assessing damage to its wastewater collection system in Lahaina.
Due to the department’s shortage of personnel and specialized equipment, he said, “this monumental task would not have been completed in the expedited timeframe that it was.”
“The completion of this critical task will allow the County to move forward in making the necessary repairs to restore wastewater service to Lahaina Town,” said Agawa in a statement.
The county does not have a timeline on how long repairs will take to complete.
On Feb. 16, areas designated as “L-4A” and “L-4E”
in Lahaina were the latest to be removed from the county’s unsafe-water advisory, in addition to others removed earlier, such as
“L-4C,” which includes the area surrounding Safeway.
The water serving homes and buildings in these two areas has been declared safe for unrestricted use. The status of various parts of Lahaina is viewable via an interactive water advisory map Opens in a new tab.
Areas designated as “L-5” through “L-6A,” meanwhile, remain under the unsafe-
water advisory until further notice. Customers under advisory should not drink the tap water, and be aware that boiling, freezing, filtering or adding chlorine will not make it safe, officials said.
The EPA also will continue sampling drinking water from the main distribution system by collecting water from fire hydrants in affected areas of Lahaina.
Crews are checking the water for chlorine and coliform bacteria, as well as volatile organic compounds, which can be released from pipes damaged by the widespread pressure and heat caused by fires.
The EPA said it will move in coming weeks to sampling water from lateral lines, which bring drinking water from the main line to
a house or business, in coordination with Maui County.
The goal in the final phase is to cut off and cap the lines determined to have been contaminated to isolate them from the main system.
