The Safe Drinking Water Act Safe Drinking Water Act The main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. The SDWA sets the framework for the UIC Program to control the injection of fluids. EPA and states implement the UIC Program, which sets standards for safe injection practices and bans certain types of injection. (SDWA) requires closure of all large capacity cesspools (LCCs). In 2017, EPA announced an agreement with the County of Hawaii to close seven LCCs that serve the Pāhala and Nāʻālehu communities on the Island of Hawaii. The County will replace the cesspools with wastewater treatment systems approved by the Hawaii Department of Health. The Pāhala Community Large Capacity Cesspool Replacement Project is one of the projects covered by the agreement.

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• Approval to Extend the AOC Compliance Due Date to Acquire Land for the Pãhala Wastewater Treatment Facility (PDF)(2 pp, 240 K, October 29, 2020)
  EPA’s response approving the County’s October 12, 2020 request to extend the compliance provision deadline to acquire land for the Pãhala Wastewater Treatment Facility that is listed in Paragraph 29 (c) of the June 2017 Federal Administrative Order on Consent between EPA and the County in relation to the Pãhala and Nã’ãlehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020) (PDF)(14 pp, 331 K, July 2020)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020.
• EPA Approval to Modify Remaining Nāʻālehu AOC Milestones (PDF)(2 pp, 244 K, June 1, 2020)
  EPA’s response approving the County’s request to modify the remaining Nāʻālehu compliance milestone due dates that are listed in Paragraph 31 (c), and (e) through (j) in the June 2017 Federal Administrative Order on Consent between EPA and the County in relation to the Pãhala and Nã’ãlehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects.
• Approval to Modify the AOC Compliance Date for Pãhala Collection System Design (PDF)(2 pp, 200 K, May 24, 2019)
  EPA’s response approving the County’s May 15, 2019 and May 22, 2019 requests to modify the compliance provision deadline to complete design of the new Pãhala wastewater collection system that is listed in Paragraph 29 (e) of the June 2017 Federal Administrative Order on Consent between EPA and the County in relation to the Pãhala and Nã’ãlehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (July 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019) (PDF)(11 pp, 224 K, January 2020)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of July 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019.
• EPA Approval to Modify AOC Compliance Date to Complete Nã’ãlehu WWTP Environmental Assessment (PDF)(2 pp, 182 K, September 26, 2019)
  EPA’s response approving the County’s September 13, 2019 request to modify the compliance provision deadline to complete the Environmental Assessment for the Naalehu Wastewater Treatment Facility that is listed in Paragraph 31 (e) of the June 2017 Federal Administrative Order on Consent between EPA and the County in relation to the Pãhala and Nã’ãlehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects.
• EPA Approval to Modify Remaining Pahala Compliance Dates In the Matter of the County of Hawaii, Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002 (PDF)(3 pp, 283 K, September 9, 2019)
  EPA’s response approving the County’s request to modify the remaining Pāhala compliance milestone due dates that are listed in Paragraph 29 (c), and (e) through (i) in the June 2017 Federal Administrative Order on Consent between EPA and the County in relation to the Pãhala and Nã’ãlehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019) (PDF)(10 pp, 438 K, July 2019)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018) (PDF)(9 pp, 234 K, January 2019)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (January 1, 2018 Through June 30, 2018) (PDF)(8 pp, 1 MB, June 2018)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of January 1, 2018 – June 30, 2018.
• EPA Approval of Extension of Compliance Dates In the Matter of the County of Hawaii, Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002 (PDF)(2 pp, 126 K, June 2018)
  EPA’s response approving the County’s request to extend the land acquisition compliance provisions included in the AOC in relation to the County’s Pahala and Naalehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (July 1, 2017 Through December 31, 2017) (PDF)(5 pp, 1 MB, January 2018)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of July 1, 2017 – December 30, 2017.
• Semi-Annual Compliance Report - Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Large Capacity Cesspools (January 1, 2017 Through June 30, 2017) (PDF)(5 pp, 319 K, July 2017)
  Per the requirements of paragraph 55 of the Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, the report details the County’s efforts towards compliance for the period of January 1, 2017– June 30, 2017.
• County of Hawaii Request for Extension of Compliance Dates In the Matter of the County of Hawaii, Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002 (PDF)(15 pp, 7 MB, June 14, 2018)
  The letter details the causes of the County of Hawaii’s delay in meeting the land acquisition compliance provisions included in the AOC in relation to the County’s Pahala and Naalehu Large Capacity Cesspool closure projects. Included with the letter are the revised Project Schedules for Attachments A and B of the AOC.
• EPA Response to Public Comments In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002 (PDF)(7 pp, 207 K, June 2017)
  EPA Response to Public Comments In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, Pahala and Naalehu Large Capacity Cesspools.
• Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002 (PDF)(18 pp, 241 K, June 22, 2017)
  Federal Administrative Order on Consent, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002, in the Matter of County of Hawaii Pahala and Naalehu Large Capacity Cesspools. Signed: June 22, 2017.
• EPA Cover Letter: Administrative Order on Consent In the Matter of County of Hawaii, EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002 (PDF)(2 pp, 117 K, June 2017)
  EPA cover letter to the county of Hawaii accompanying the Federal Administrative Order on Consent: EPA Docket No. SDWA-UIC-AOC-09-2017-0002; Pahala and Naalehu Large Capacity Cesspools. Sent: June 22, 2017.
• Work Plan: Pāhala Community Large Capacity Cesspool Replacement Project (PDF)(13 pp, 1 MB, April 21, 2017)
  Compliance Plan and Project Schedule for the Large Capacity Cesspool (LCC) Replacement Project for Pāhala, District of Ka‘ū, County of Hawai`i, Hawai`i.
• Attachment B: Nā‘ālehu Community LCC Replacement Project (PDF)(15 pp, 1 MB, April 21, 2017)
  Compliance Plan and Project Schedule for the Large Capacity Cesspool (LCC) Replacement Project Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) for Nā‘ālehu, District of Ka‘ū, County of Hawai`i, Hawai`i - April 21, 2017
• Attachment C: Pāhala Elderly Housing Apartments LCC Replacement Project (PDF)(32 pp, 4 MB, April 21, 2017)
  Compliance Plan and Project Schedule for the Large Capacity Cesspool (LCC) Replacement Project for the Pāhala Elderly Housing Apartments LCC Replacement Project, District of Ka‘ū, County of Hawai`i, Hawai`i - April 21, 2017