The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking the public to weigh in on a proposal that would require Maui County to fully disinfect all wastewater at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility.

The proposed changes come in response to the EPA discovery that treated wastewater at the facility contains levels of bacteria that could exceed federal standards. 

“Treating all of the wastewater at Lahaina … will ensure that bacteria will not contaminate a potential source drinking water or be released into nearby coastal waters,” the EPA wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “The additional treatment will also substantially increase the supply of recycled wastewater available for reuse by the County.”

The Maui News reported last month that the county is conducting a series of costly studies to better understand how the treated wastewater affects the surrounding environment.