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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Sewers are for sewage,
not rainwaterQuestion: We live in a condo along Dudoit Lane, which runs parallel to Kalakaua Avenue, behind Eggs 'n Things. It floods badly here every time there's a heavy rain. The problem is that the city sealed the drain, supposedly because of problems with the sewage system, but did not provide an alternative to drain the water when it rains. We had to buy a pump last week to pump the water out from our end of the street. We have been told that the street is privately owned, but even then, why did the city fill the drain and not provide an alternative to drain the water when it rains? We have contacted the city but have been unable to get a satisfactory answer.
Answer: Because Dudoit Lane is private, the city says it is the street owner's responsibility to provide adequate drainage to the area.
According to city spokeswoman Carol Costa, the sewer line on Dudoit Lane was sealed "because area residents kept removing the cover (over a manhole) to drain the area."
The cover was installed "to prevent the intrusion of storm waters," which is a concern of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, she said.
"It is my understanding that we asked the residents not to open the manhole, but they continued to do that, so we either welded it shut or changed it to a bolted cover to deal with the EPA concerns," Costa said.
Removing the manhole cover to drain rainwater not only was in violation of the city ordinance, but in violation of a consent decree the city has with the EPA, she said.
Costa described the "309 Consent Decree" as involving a 20-year program to keep rainwater -- runoff -- out of the city's sewer system.
She also pointed to Section 14-1.9 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, which details the restrictions on the use of sewers.
Among the restrictions: "No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any storm water, surface water, ground water, roof runoff or subsurface drainage into any public sewer or any private sewer which is connected to the public sewer."
The section also says, "No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged ... into any public sewer or private sewer that is connected to a public sewer ... any substance which will cause the city's sewage treatment plant to violate its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit or State of Hawaii water quality standards."
Runoff is considered a substance that would violate the standards.
Costa also said the federal Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants except in compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits.
Auwe
To the man driving an American-made white van at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, in the downtown post office parking lot. He was blocking the lot and wouldn't allow anyone to pass him. All he had to do was move to the side, but instead he was rude and confrontational. -- D.M.
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