By Staff Reports
(LĪHU‘E) – On Friday, Sept. 30, representatives from the Department of Public Works and the Division of Wastewater Management received the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Hawai‘i Section 2022 OCEA award for Best Small Project at the Kahala Hotel and Resort on O‘ahu.
“This achievement is a testament to the innovative work of our Division of Wastewater Management team,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “Not only does this project produce reliable recycled water for irrigation in Waimea town, but it also avoids expensive infrastructure costs, reduces energy use, and preserves precious groundwater for our community.”
The winning project, the Waimea Wastewater Treatment Plant R-1 Process Optimization project, was a collaboration between the Division of Wastewater Management Operations and Maintenance staff and the County’s consultant, Kennedy Jenks engineers.
The project focused on adjustments to existing processes, which included reducing the equalization tank volume by 50%, constructing a polymer system, and building a chlorine injection system. This resulted in consistent recycled water used for irrigation in Waimea.
Funded through the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget, the award-winning project began in 2019 and was completed in 2021. The overall cost of the project was $200,000.