Monitoring and Compliance
Laboratory
Monitoring and Testing
A full-service ENV laboratory of more than 35 chemists and technicians analyze:
- Bacteria levels
- Micro-mollusk populations (tiny seashell organisms)
- 64 chemicals in the flesh of fish caught in the area
- Abnormal growths in the livers of fish caught in the area
- Nutrient levels (nitrogen, phosphorus)
- Chlorophyll levels (which are related to algae growth)
- Turbidity and temperature
- Properties of the sand and sediment from the sea floor
Data from these tests help determine how the ocean environment is changing and whether treated effluent is affecting fish or fauna in Hawaiian waters. The work by ENV, the ongoing tests by EPA-certified labs on the mainland and independent studies by researchers at the University of Hawaii, all reflect that the City and County of Honolulu’s wastewater facilities have little to no effect on the health and well-being of our island’s ecosystem.
Ocean Team
ENV has an extensive ocean monitoring program, which covers marine waters spanning the Leeward to the Windward coasts. The program is run by nine professionals whose main purpose is to monitor our marine environment. These SCUBA-certified divers utilize 25-foot Boston Whalers and a larger, 37-foot craft to deploy ocean profilers and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for data gathering. In addition, they must collect marine fauna and perform sediment dredging by hand for various analyses.
ENV tests for a number of important ‘indicator organisms’ every four to six days in shoreline, nearshore and some offshore waters. All water quality parameters, such as nutrients, are measured quarterly. The results help ENV and state Department of Health determine if there are public health risks due to the discharge of treated effluent. ENV monitors farther offshore quarterly, at minimum, for possible environmental impacts. Annually, tests are conducted for 129 priority pollutants in the effluent, fish tissue, and sediments around the outfall while also observing fish close up for any abnormalities.