Koloa site of cesspool scrap

KOLOA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached an $18,000 settlement with a South Shore business after federal officials identified a large-capacity cesspool at Koloa Self Storage on Waikomo Road.

The EPA, which banned large-capacity cesspools in 2005, announced the settlement Wednesday.

The agency said the deal was struck in order to protect water resources on Kaua‘i.

“It is critical that Kaua‘i businesses use proper wastewater-treatment systems to protect groundwater resources from disease-causing pollution,” EPA Pacific Southwest Region Administrator Martha Guzman said.

An individual associated with Koloa Self Storage disputed elements of the EPA announcement, but declined to go on the record by press time.

Koloa Self Storage’s now-closed, non-residential, large-capacity cesspool had, by definition, the capacity to serve 20 or more people per day.

But a copy of the consent agreement obtained by The Garden Island notes the self-storage business contains a single restroom.

The document also states Koloa Partners LLC — the entity behind Koloa Self Storage — neither admits nor denies the allegations in the agreement.

Koloa Self Storage was not the first Koloa business cited by EPA.

Hale Kaua‘i paid a $40,000 fine in January when the EPA announced a large-capacity cesspool existed at Hardware Hawai‘i, adjacent to Koloa Self Storage.

Hobey Beck, a Hale Kaua‘i board member, took issue with the EPA’s decision when contacted by The Garden Island in January.

“Hale Kaua‘i owns the building at Hardware Hawai‘i, which has one hand-wash sink and one employee-only toilet,” Beck said at the time. “Our system’s water use has never risen to show over five persons using it on any given day.”

Since the 2005 federal ban, 3,750 large-capacity cesspools in Hawai‘i have been closed, according to the EPA, which states hundreds remain in operation.

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Scott Yunker, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.