More Than 6,000 Gallons of Sewage Discharged Onto Hilo Roadway

More than 6,000 gallons of wastewater were released Monday afternoon, Aug. 1, in the vicinity of two Hilo schools.

The county Department of Environmental Management responded to a discharge of sewage from a manhole on Waiānuenue Avenue in the vicinity of Hilo High and Hilo Intermediate schools that started at about 12:15 p.m. Monday. Wastewater Division personnel arrived on the scene and were able to stop the discharge by about 2 p.m.

According to a press release, the contractor for a paving project in the area was notified about about water exiting the manhole and onto Waiānuenue Avenue. Crews from the Wastewater Division arrived at about 1:15 p.m.

An estimated 6,300 gallons of wastewater were released and traveled down the northside curb of the roadway and into a storm drain just makai of Laimana Street, near the intersection with Waiānuenue. The affected portion of Waiānuenue Avenue was disinfected with a water and chlorine solution.

The cause of the discharge was traced to the collapse of a section of a sewer main, which caused a partial blockage of the flow. Wastewater Division crews removed debris from the line and restored normal flow. A contractor will excavate around the failed line and replace the section starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Warning signs were posted along Hilo Bayfront, and Wastewater Division personnel will sample at locations along Bayfront for contamination.

The public should exercise caution and avoid the area of the spill if possible.