NOW I am angry about the Sewage Spill

[Sharkbaithawaii]

Oh, "the state is a mess" is not enough for me. We have to expect more from them. this is unacceptable.

I think we are all a little tired of the state in gereral. Trying hard not to turn this into another Love EB hate to dive there post.

 

[fishb0y]

Sad thing is, this didn't happen because of the 46 days of rain that we had. I wouldn't even blame Mufi for this, the horrible state of the sewage, roads and other basic infrastructure is mainly do to the (<)honorable Jeremy Harris.

Even though the streets were becoming cratered like the moon, and the sewers were rotting with neglect... Mr Harris felt the need to rob the sewer accounts to put up some pretty trees around the Ala Wai. That sounds pretty criminal to me.

Sorry for the rant, now I gotta head over to EB to get my car stolen.

 

[justleesa]

Even though the streets were becoming cratered like the moon, and the sewers were rotting with neglect... Mr Harris felt the need to rob the sewer accounts to put up some pretty trees around the Ala Wai.

don't forget we paid for his autobiography...

 

[Cacia]

W-H-A-T ?

givin haoles a bad name.

 

[justleesa]

just naming em as I see em

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

I knew if I searched long enough I'd find archman's earlier post.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=80533

We were planning for a Hawaii trip this autumn - thanks for the info so we know which parts to consider not visiting.

 

[archman]

I knew if I searched long enough I'd find archman's earlier post.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=80533

We were planning for a Hawaii trip this autumn - thanks for the info so we know which parts to consider not visiting.

Oh man, that was one dirty thread!

 

[Cacia]

well, why is there more fecal material now, with better sewage treatment? more coastal development?

I was wondering this morning cleaning up after my dog, if this is really more environmentaly sound, putting it in a plastic bag instead of letting the rain filter it through the ground.

I hear from my doctor (he surfs) that in Indonesia people get some serious infections in the most pristine locales because raw sewage goes directly on the ocean.

 

[archman]

well, why is there more fecal material now, with better sewage treatment? more coastal development?

Quite simply, we usually *don't* have better sewage treatment. Most american municipal water treatment is legacy-stuff built 30+ years ago. Passage of the Clean Water Act was great for water quality... back in the 1970's. Since that time, most of the original infrastructure has deteriorated, while most local human populations have exceeded original load parameters.

This is the major reason for the U.S. government's current attempts at trying to weaken the Clean Water Act. The cost of renovating and upgrading all this older stuff is NOT cheap. The situation's particularly bad in large metropolitan areas, which is where you'll find the oldest and most complicated systems. Which is why I avoid entering water immediately downstream of cities.

I was wondering this morning cleaning up after my dog, if this is really more environmentaly sound, putting it in a plastic bag instead of letting the rain filter it through the ground.

Putting it in a little baggie for trash disposal has the major advantage in that the dump site is localized and (hopefully) monitored. U.S. dumps are often lined with groundwater and silt barriers, and effluent ditches can be directed into specially created wetlands that partially filter the runoff.

Leaving the dog's poo where it, ahem, lies, can be problematic in a city. Rainfall will direct that stuff into the nearest storm drain, and storm drains in the U.S. are nothing more than direct shunts into the nearest river or bay.

City parks and greenways don't have enough biomass to support even a fraction of the waste load generated by peoples' dogs and cats. If the poo isn't picked up, it will rapidly compound, and not only kill off the grass, but still end up in the storm drain.

My town doesn't have poo-pickup regulations, and I live in a small townhouse community where most people have pets. They all walk their dogs right next door to me in a small public grassy area maybe 100 feet by 40 feet across. In the wintertime when the lawnmowers aren't around, the dog poo gets so dense, it's impossible to walk in. It's just one enormous public toilet for dogs, and all that poo goes straight into our local creek. Yuk!


Needless to say, try to support any water quality enhancement efforts that your local or state governments forwards. Just make sure you read the fine print, 'else you end up with *weaker* standards than you started out with!

 

[Cacia]

oh, ok. Thought so...just wondering..it was before my coffee, you know?

I have always heard using your garbage disposal for lots of stuff is bad too. takes it into the water supply. I try and use it minimally. Is this sound or baloney?