The Hawaii Department of Health is proposing to renew the water pollution control permit for Maui Ocean Center, which discharges treated seawater into Maalaea Harbor. A public comment period runs September 2 through October 2, 2026.
- The state DOH tentatively recommends renewing Maui Ocean Center’s NPDES permit, which governs its discharge of roughly 1.2 million gallons of ocean water per day into Maalaea Harbor.
- The renewed permit would be valid for five years from its effective date.
- Maui Ocean Center’s system continuously circulates seawater through aquarium tanks and pools, with sand filtration and ozone treatment before discharge.
- Maalaea Harbor is designated Class A water, meaning recreational use and environmental protection are priority considerations for any discharge.
- Public comments or hearing requests must be submitted in writing by October 2, 2026, via email or mail to the DOH Clean Water Branch.
Source: Hawaii
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