NOTICE OF PROPOSED WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PERMIT FOR PAPAIKOU WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PAPAIKOU, ISLAND OF HAWAII NPDES PERMIT NO. HI 0021113 DOCKET NO. HI 0021113 March 11, 2021 The Department of Health (DOH) tentatively proposes to reissue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge secondary treated wastewaters to receiving State waters, subject to special conditions to: COUNTY OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 345 KEKUANAO’A STREET SUITE 41 HILO, HAWAII 96720 The proposed permit for the new discharge will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The Papaikou Wastewater Treatment Plant (facility) is located at 27-2138 Hawaii Belt Road, in Papaikou, about five miles from Hilo on the island of Hawaii, TMK: (3) 2-7-004:126. The facility serves a population of approximately 1,900 and was designed to provide secondary treatment to sanitary wastewater at a flow of 0.35 million gallons per day (mgd). The annual average flow rates for the last three years were 0.16 mgd, 0.17 mgd, and 0.19 mgd. Secondary treatment at the facility consists of screen/grit removal, biological treatment using activated sludge, secondary clarification, chlorination, and dechlorination. Sludge is treated by aerobic digestion, gravity-thickening, and then is dewatered at the Hilo WWTP. The sludge is ultimately disposed at the West Hawaii landfill. Secondary treated wastewater effluent is discharged to the Pacific Ocean at Waipahi Point through Outfall Serial No. 001 at coordinates: Latitude 19°46’58” N and Longitude 155°05’09” W. The receiving water, the Pacific Ocean at Waipahi Point, is classified by the DOH as Class A, Wet Open Coastal Waters under Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), Section 11-54-6(b)(2)(B). Persons wishing to comment upon or object to the proposed NPDES permit or to request a public hearing, should submit their comments or requests in writing no later than 30 calendar days after the date of this notice, either in person or by mail, to: Clean Water Branch Environmental Management Division Department of Health 2827 Waimano Home Road, Room 225 Pearl City, HI 96782 Copies of the proposed public notice permit and other information are available for public inspection, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 7:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m., at the DOH office address shown above; at the Hilo District Health Office, 1582 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii 96720; and at the Kona District Health Office, Keakealani Building, 79-1020 Haukapila Street, Room 115, Kealakekua, HI 96750. Copies may be bought. The public notice permit and rationale are also available on the internet at: http://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/site-map/home/public-notices-and-updates. For more information or if you have special needs due to disability that will aid you in inspecting and/or commenting on the public notice permit and related information, please contact Mr. Darryl Lum, Supervisor of the Engineering Section, Clean Water Branch, at the above address or (808) 586-4309 (Voice) at least seven (7) calendar days before the comment deadline. For those who use a TTY/TDD, please call through Sprint Relay Hawaii, at 1-711 or 1-877-447-5991. All written comments and requests received on time will be considered. If DOH determines that there is significant public interest, a public hearing may be held after at least 30 calendar days of public notice. If DOH’s position is substantially unchanged after considering all timely written comments and all oral comments at any public hearing that may be held, then the DOH will issue the NPDES permit and this action will be final. Please notify anyone you know who would be interested in this matter. Elizabeth A Char, MD Director of Health (HTH1318309 3/11/21)