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Lawmakers press ESPA on Malaloa odors and ongoing boil‑water advisory as EPA testing continues
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Summary
Senators raised complaints about recurring sewage odors in Malaloa and questioned capacity at the treatment plant after ESPA said daily inflow rose from about 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 gallons; ESPA said it is dosing chemicals, installing RO machines in several villages and awaiting U.S. EPA sign-off to lift a boil-water advisory.
Senators raised constituent complaints about a persistent foul smell in Malaloa and other villages. Speaker 3 asked why the odor continues; Speaker 2 apologized, said ESPA has been adding chemicals and treatment and explained that wastewater volumes have increased sharply since the East Side connection.
"We're getting our 1,000,000 gallons per day from the East Side now...3,000,000 gallons a day," Speaker 2 said, explaining the plant now receives roughly three times the volume it used to and that higher volumes have made treatment more challenging. Senator questions included whether past management would have avoided the problem; Speaker 2 reiterated volume growth and defended the utility’s efforts.
Senators also asked about a boil-water advisory. Speaker 2 said the Malayiimi filtration system has been working since last year, and that water tests have been returning positive results, but the U.S. EPA must complete its process before ESPA can lift the advisory. ESPA said it has installed multiple reverse-osmosis (RO) machines for villages including Awa and plans further installations.
Senators pressed for equitable water quality across the island, and ESPA said it would follow EPA protocols and report back once official notices are received.
