$18M sought to upgrade plant
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
WAIMANALO — An $18.2 million state budget request for an upgrade of the Waimanalo Wastewater Treatment Plant could translate into millions more if the Legislature approves the money for the project.
The Waimanalo community, with the help of Mano Wai Corp., hopes to leverage the state money to obtain $30 million to improve the technology of the plant that now sends filtered effluent into the ground, said Wilson Ho, Waimanalo Neighborhood Board chairman.
Gov. Linda Lingle recently announced that she has included the $18 million in her supplemental capital improvement budget.
But the upgrade project has been included in the state budget before, Ho said.
"This has been a 10-year fight for us," he said. "Funding was approved twice and twice (former Gov. Ben) Cayetano refused to give the money."
The two legislators representing the area said they would make passage of the $18 million request a priority in this year's Legislature, which begins tomorrow.
The plant is more than 30 years old and uses an injection system in which effluent is pumped into ground wells where the waste is diluted and filtered naturally into the ground.
Ho said the community is concerned about the system and wants it improved.
"There has to be better technology as far as the injection-well system is concerned because they're just putting the (waste) back into the ground and into our water table," he said.
To gain federal financing, the Waimanalo community will set up a nonprofit organization to operate the treatment plant, Ho said.
Improvements to the plant would allow about 350 beach-lot homes to hook up to the system and could open the door to greater development in Waimanalo. Building has been curbed since 1994 because of the poor condition of the plant, which is owned by the state but operated by the city.
The beach-lot homes have cesspools and septic tanks that city officials and some residents have said pollute near-shore waters.
Kirsten Baumgart Turner, with Mano Wai, said the community would have a better chance of obtaining federal financing if the $18 million in state money is approved.
Mano Wai is a Hawai'i-based nonprofit that facilitates the development of needed facilities in rural communities.
"It is important to always demonstrate the interest and financial commitment of the city and county and the state," said Turner, who is helping the Waimanalo community with the project.
Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Portlock, Hawai'i Kai), said the appropriation would be his highest priority.
"Right now we cross our fingers every time it rains that we don't have a major breakdown in that plant so we don't have a major spill," Hemmings said. "If we get this money, there's a good chance we can get the federal money."
The $18 million would cover repair and maintenance of the system, and the federal money would go toward expanding and improving the technology of the plant, he said.
Rep. Tommy Waters, D-51st (Waimanalo, Lanikai), said the issue is also his No. 1 priority.
"Last year Ben Cayetano put it in his budget but Lingle took it out," Waters said, adding that he wrote a letter to Lingle asking that the money be reinstated.
"I spoke to people running the facility and they said it's an accident waiting to happen," Waters said.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
