Wastewater Treatment Works
This page includes information on Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), both municipal and private WWTW. It also includes info related to WWTWs that produce recycled water for reuse applications.
Engineer Resources
Additional Information
Forms
Operator Resources
Continuing Education Credits
Please click here to find info related to continuing education.
DRC Notification Form
Have you been newly hired as an Direct Responsible Charge (DRC) for a plant? Has there been a recent change in DRC?
Then please fill out the following DRC Notification Form and submit it via mail or email it to [email protected]:
- DRC Notification Form | pdf |
Semi-Annual Effluent Submittal
From July 1st to 30th, and January 1st to 30th, Operators must submit their BOD5 and Suspended Solids (SS) lab results for the last six months to the Department of Health Wastewater Branch for review. Depending on the review, we may send an Informal Notice of Violation (INOV) to the Owner/duly authorized representative which will request a Corrective-Action Plan (CAP) for any violations.
Please submit the semi-annual effluent lab results to [email protected]. The subject line of the email and the filename should include the name of the WWTW and/or the WWTW permit number. To find out this info for your plant, please use this interative map:
or call our Oahu Office for help. The six months of lab results should be combined into a single PDF, where one PDF corresponds with one WWTW. For example, the file “129a_HaikuMarket_2023_pt1.pdf” should contain the combined January to June 2023 lab results of Haiku Market WWTW whose WWTW permit number is 129a. A recommended filename for lab results from January 2023 would be “129a_HaikuMarket_2023_01.pdf”.
Operation & Maintenance Inspections (O&M)
A Department of Health Wastewater Branch Engineer will contact you via phone or email two to four weeks in advance of the inspection day to schedule a time for the inspection.
The following data is expected at least a week in advance of the scheduled inspection date and must span at least the last 12 months. For example, if an inspection is scheduled in February, then the inspector will need data spanning from August of the previous year to January of the current year. The inspector may request more data if needed. For additional details, please see HAR Chapter 11-62-26.
Please don’t forget to have your log book available! You’ll want to have recorded at minimum: the date and time of operator entry to WWTW, operating conditions, process control testing that was performed, and any servicing or preventative maintenance performed.
Templates and forms are provided below to help operators prepare for O&M inspections. They contain info on the types of basic information and data that inspectors will need to perform the inspection. Further info will be requested on an as-needed basis. Templates may be updated so please periodically check to make sure that you have an updated version.
We strongly recommend the use of these templates to check that you have all the data you need when it comes time for an inspection. If you do not have Microsoft Excel, the xlsx templates can also be opened and edited using Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc. Feel free to adjust templates as needed for your personal use. Some headers in the templates are wastewater system specific.
How to use Templates:
- One template file is intended to be used for one WWTW,
- Fill out the “General_Info” sheet and check the list of required data described on this sheet,
- Fill out the tables for the applicable months as needed,
- When submitting the templates to an inspector, please send it in xlsx file format,
- Send copies of effluent lab reports from an independent laboratory to inspector for review (municipal treatment plants do not need to use an independent laboratory for effluent testing).
Templates and Forms
- Process Control – General | .xlsx |
- Process Control – R-2 Water | .xlsx |
- Process Control – R-1 Water:
- Sludge Disposal Records | .xlsx |
- Operation and Maintenance Inspection Questionnaire (For Municipal WWTW) | .doc |
Don’t forget to send copies of effluent lab reports from an independent laboratory to inspector for review (municipal treatment plants do not need to use an independent laboratory for effluent testing).
An O&M Cover Letter with the inspection results will be sent to the Owner/duly authorized representative, with the operator CC’d, within three months of the scheduled inspection day. In that O&M Cover Letter we may request a response letter containing a Corrective Action Plan or additional information.
How to write a Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
An acceptable Corrective Action Plan (CAP) includes the following:
- A description of the deficiencies being addressed
- A description of why the deficiencies occurred
- If applicable, a description of corrective actions that have already been performed
- A detailed plan for corrective actions that will address the deficiencies:
- A timeline for the corrective action
- Details about how the corrective action will be performed
- A description of what will be done in the interim before the corrective action can be completed
Some of these may not be applicable to your situation. There are situations where an explanation in the CAP may suffice to address the Department’s concerns, please check with your inspector prior to including this in your CAP.
Owner Resources
Owner(s) are person(s) who have a legal title to a treatment works, or are a duly authorized representative of the owner.
Correspondence from the Department of Health Wastewater branch will be addressed to the Owner or duly authorized representative. The certified operator that is the direct responsible charge of the WWTW will often be CC’d on correspondence.
The owner is responsible for any deficiencies or violations stemming from the WWTW. Please contact the Department of Health Wastewater Branch should you have any questions/concerns.
List of Certified Wastewater Operators
Looking for an Operator/Direct Responsible Charge (DRC)? The wastewater branch has compiled a list of some certified operators that we are aware of to help you.
Note: If you are a certified operator and would like to be included on this list please contact the Department of Health wastewater Branch.
Direct Responsible Charge (DRC) Notification Form
Have you hired a new DRC or has there been a recent change in DRC?
Then please fill out the following DRC Notification Form and submit it via mail or email it to [email protected]:
- DRC Notification Form | pdf |