Power failure causes sewage spill

Advertiser Staff

A power failure Thursday night at the city's Hart Street pumping station in Iwilei caused an estimated 4.6 million gallons of raw sewage to spill into Honolulu Harbor, Nu'uanu Stream and Kapalama Canal, city officials said.

At about 8 p.m. Thursday, a short circuit in the plant's electrical system disabled pumps that transfer raw sewage to the Sand Island treatment facility. The problem also affected the Hart Street plant's emergency generator.

Police Sgt. Bart Ravelo said two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane near the 800 block of Dillingham Boulevard were closed to traffic yesterday to allow city crews to keep the sewage contained.