On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Roger Babcock, Director for the City’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV), and his Deputy Director, Mike O’Keefe join host Brandi Higa to talk about where they are in the process of naming new landfill site, the need to raise sewer fees for the first time since 2016, and how local families can offset those rising costs.
Naming a new landfill site
ENV is currently identifying potential sites for the next municipal solid waste landfill for the island of O‘ahu. On Aug. 23, 2024, a Modification Application was granted by the Hawai‘i Land Use Commission extending the deadline to identify an alternative landfill site by Dec. 31, 2024.
“We’re finalizing our analysis, a very detailed analysis of the sites and looking at what happens if we go to the legislature and ask for modifications of Act 73,” explained ENV Director Roger Babcock. “We have all that data and we intent to meet our new, extended deadline this year.”
In 2021-2022, ENV formed a Landfill Advisory Committee to evaluate potential landfill sites identified to meet current federal and state regulations. The committee recommendations can be found by clicking here.
For more on the new landfill siting, please visit https://www8.honolulu.gov/env/ref/new-landfill-siting/
Sewer Fee increases
ENV announced a plan to increase sewer fees over a ten-year period, beginning July 1, 2025. The fee increases – which are the first proposed increases since 2016 – are essential to fund critical improvements to the city’s wastewater infrastructure and to ensure operations continue to meet regulatory requirements.
“These projects are important for the environment and for public health,” said ENV Director Roger Babcock.
The rate increases start with a 9% annual adjustment for the first six years, followed by smaller increases of 8%, 7%, 6%, and 5% in the final four years.
Relief for local families
To help offset the impact on low-income households, ENV will launch the Customer Assistance for Residential Environmental Services (CARES) program. Households earning less than 80% of the area median income (AMI) may qualify for a monthly credit of $20 to $25 on their fixed sewer charge.
“This is a really important point to bring up in the context of this pretty significant increase that will be rolled out over the following ten years,” added ENV Deputy Director O’Keefe.
Additionally, ENV will be adjusting the basis for how sewer fees are calculated to give customers greater control over the amount of their bill. Sewer bills include a fixed (or base) charge, currently about 70% of the bill, and volumetric charge based on water use, currently about 30% of the bill. Over the next four years, these percentages will gradually shift to a 50/50, fixed-to-volumetric ratio. This shift to a greater amount of the fee based upon water usage will allow customers to pay significantly lower fees if they reduce their water use.
For more information on the sewer fee increase, the CARES program, or to view projected rates, please visit http://honolulu.gov/env/sewer-fee-rates.