(BIVN) – Critical upgrades to the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant are officially underway, after a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the location of the facility on Thursday. 

The $337 million upgrade is scheduled to be complete in 2030. The work is being done by contractor, Nan Inc. 

Earlier this year, Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda signed an emergency proclamation in the event of a possible failure of the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant. 

“Engineering assessments have noted mechanical defects, structural deterioration, and extensive corrosion at the treatment plant that could result in a sewage spill at the facility, while deficiencies have also been found in the sewer collection system in Hilo,” the County stated. The proclamation authorizes emergency management measures to be taken in the event of such a failure. 

Photo courtesy County of Hawaiʻi

“A little over 30 years ago, I was on the engineering team that designed and constructed this treatment facility,” said Wesley R. Segawa, County Environmental Management Director. “Unfortunately, due to deferred maintenance during this period, today we are spending more than $337 million to repair and upgrade this treatment facility. It will be a costly lesson for our county.”

“Today’s groundbreaking marks our turning point,” Segawa said. “We at the department know what’s at stake. We are moving forward with urgency and care. This plant must come into compliance and the community deserves a wastewater system they can count on.”

From the County of Hawaiʻi

“I was born and raised in Keaukaha,” said Kaʻaka Swain, the Keaukaha Community Association President. “Then, the sewer plant was located where the (Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, or PACRC) facility currently is. We would come home with our parents and depending on the smell, we could tell if it was a good day or a bad day for the sewer plant.” 

“Then they built this (current facility) back here. But yet, we can still pass and sometimes smell if it’s a good day or a bad day. So hopefully, with all the upgrades and the fixing and whatnot, the water that gets pumped out through the outfall improves and has less bacteria,” Swain said. 

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

The $337 million upgrade project will replace outdated equipment, improve treatment efficiency, and strengthen environmental safeguards. Work includes construction of a new headworks facility, upgrades to primary and secondary treatment systems, new solids handling and odor control buildings, and major electrical and control system improvements. 

The project is being delivered by Nan Inc. and is scheduled to be complete in 2030. 

Mayor Kimo Alameda, elected officials, County leadership, and project partners joined together at the plant site to recognize this milestone and emphasize the importance of investing in safe, modern wastewater infrastructure for the Hilo community.

“Our wastewater system has needed attention for a long time, and we are finally turning that page,” said Mayor Alameda. “With this investment, we are making sure that the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant operates at the high standards our community deserves. In the meantime, we will be working closely with our contractors to keep everything running smoothly and safely. I want to thank our dedicated wastewater staff. They are the unsung heroes who keep these vital systems working day in and day out.” 

Photo from video copyright Daryl W. Lee

Originally built in the early 1990s, the facility serves approximately 30,000 residents and treats an average of 3 million gallons of wastewater daily. In March 2024, the County entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to bring the facility and related infrastructure into compliance.

“The biggest gripe is the plant doesn’t serve our Keaukaha community,” Swain said. “Most of our community is still on cesspool or septic tanks. We don’t have lines and infrastructures put in, under our roads, for us to even hook up to the plant. But we still pay the price in the ocean of having the greater Hilo spill into our refrigerator (the ocean) that we go and fish in.”

“Hopefully this will help mitigate some of the problems,” Swain said. “It’s not going to fix them all, but it’s baby steps. We’ll keep getting there.”