FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Markus Owens, ENV Public Information Officer: (808) 768-3454

Groundbreaking and Blessing held for

Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades

Mayor Kirk Caldwell and ENV Director Lori Kahikina led the groundbreaking today at the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant.

‘EWA BEACH, Hawai‘i – Today, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell attended a groundbreaking ceremony and blessing of the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Phase 1A and 1B upgrades, which includes the construction of sludge drying facilities and expands the back end of the plant to full secondary treatment.



“Upgrading the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant is another critical piece of the puzzle as Honolulu fulfills all of the mandates of the 2010 federal consent decree,” said Mayor Caldwell. “In the past nine years we have made a tremendous amount of progress in improving our sewer system, as evidenced by the record low number of sewer spills last year. The Honouliuli projects help make our island home more resilient and sustainable, while also accommodating the predicted growth along the ‘Ewa plain.”



The cost for the two projects is $370 million, and they must be completed by June 30, 2024. The Honouliuli projects include the next phase of the city’s major wastewater improvement upgrades in order to fulfill the requirements set forth in the 2010 federal Consent Decree. More importantly, the project will accommodate future wastewater flows, increase production of recycled water, and allow for the beneficial reuse of biosolids from the Honouliuli WWTP and other treatment facilities.



The first two phases of the project have been awarded after going out to bid. The general contractor for Phase 1A is Parsons RCI Inc., which will be upgrading the solids stream process to allow digested sludge to be dried into pellets that can be than applied as fertilizer.



Nan Inc. is serving as the general contractor for Phase 1B, which adds aeration basins, six new secondary clarifiers, a centralized emergency generator building and underground piping installed through microtunneling and open excavation. This will bring the Honouliuli WWTP plant into full compliance with the federal Clean Water Act and Hawai‘i state law.





—PAU—