HAWAII, DEC 27, 2018 -- The owners of Big Island Dairy reported a discharge of roughly 600,000 gallons of sewage that contaminated coastal waters. The company reported the discharge to the state Department of Health at 9:10 a.m. Monday. Original estimates put the discharge at about 800,000 gallons of wastewater discharged throughout the day from a lagoon on the property, according to the DOH.
At around 3:40 p.m., pumping activities were stopped.
The Health Department posted warning signs urging the public to stay out the water because of potential stormwater contamination.
Big Island Dairy previously announced it would cease operations in 2019 due to financial and regulatory issues. In 2017, the dairy was hit with a federal lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act and a $25,000 fine by the Health Department after multiple wastewater discharges.
