NOTICE OF PROPOSED WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PERMIT
FOR KAHALA HOTEL & RESORT
NPDES PERMIT NO. HI 0021942
DOCKET NO. HI 0021942
October 22, 2021
The State Department of Health (DOH) tentatively proposes, subject to public comments, to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge non-contact cooling water from the Kahala Hotel & Resort, to receiving State waters, subject to special conditions to:
KAHALA HOTEL & RESORT
5000 Kahala Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
The proposed permit for the existing discharge will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance.
Kahala Hotel & Resort is a 338 room hotel that includes restaurants, spa, pool, waterfall and water feature lagoon. The lagoon is home to dolphins, fish, and turtles. The proposed permitted discharge from the facility consists of once-through non-contact cooling water from the air conditioning system. Kahala Hotel & Resort operates two groundwater wells located on the North side of the facility which pump brackish groundwater through the hotel’s heat exchangers within the air conditioning system, prior to discharge. The non-contact cooling water flows 24 hours a day, 7-days per week, and has a daily average flow of 2,621,558 gallons per day. Non-contact cooling water from the heat exchangers is pumped through a decorative waterfall to the water feature lagoon. In addition to aesthetics, the waterfall and water feature lagoon provide cooling for the non-contact cooling water prior to discharge. The water feature lagoon has an approximate capacity of 1 million gallons. Water is discharged from the lagoon to Maunalua Bay via Outfall Serial Nos. 001 and 002 through 18 inch concrete pipes approximately 100 feet off shore. Discharges of non-contact cooling water to Maunalua Bay occur through Outfall Serial No. 001, located at: Latitude 21º16’16″N and Longitude 157º46’27″W and Outfall Serial No. 002 at: Latitude 21º16’17″N and Longitude 157º46’22″W.
The receiving water, Maunalua Bay is designated by the DOH as a Class A, Open Coastal Water. The objective of Class A waters is to protect their use for recreational purposes and aesthetic enjoyment. Any other use can be permitted as long as is compatible with the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife, and with recreation in and on these waters.
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 through e-mail at: cleanwaterbranch@doh.hawaii.gov or by mail to:
Department of Health, Clean Water Branch
P.O. BOX 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801 3378.
Copies of the proposed public notice permit and other information are available for public inspection at the DOH Clean Water Branch office located at 2827 Waimano Home Road, Room 225, Pearl City, Hawaii 96782, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 7:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. Copies may be bought. The public notice permit and rationale are also available on the internet at:
https://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/clean-water-branch-home-page/public-notices-and-updates/
For more information, or if you require assistance 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 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 within the submission deadline will be considered. Any request for a hearing must indicate the interest of the party submitting the request and the reason(s) why a hearing is warranted. If the DOH determines that there is significant public interest, a public hearing may be held after at least 30 calendar days of public notice.
If the 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, M.D.
Director of Health
(SA1344785 10/22/21)
