The City and County of Honolulu is spending $11.8 million to try and solve a decades old problem in Kailua – the foul smell coming from the Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“We're doing it because we've been dealing with this odor control issue for a long time,” said acting Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “It's going to take about a year-and-a-half to complete and I think at the end of the day people are gonna be pleased with the result.”
Caldwell and other city officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking at the wastewater plant Thursday morning to mark the beginning of the project, which is expected to take 450 days.
The pungent smell emanating from the plant has impacted nearby residents for decades and to a lesser extent Aikahi Elementary School.
“There's been some complaints from teachers and students about the smell,” said Michael Lawrence, the school’s longtime maintenance supervisor. “They get nauseous (and) headaches and the teachers close their windows.”
The smell from the plant usually reaches the school when the prevailing trade wind switches direction and becomes almost unbearable when the wind barely blows at all.
However for residents of Aikahi Gardens the smell is an almost constant nuisance. The condominium complex was built directly across the street from the plant.
“It's an on again off again bad smell,” said Donna Evans, who has lived at Aikahi Gardens the past thirty years. “(It’s) like going into a stink hole - it's just foul.”
The plant in Kailua treats an average of twelve million gallons of raw sewage every day.
Environmental Services Deputy Director Ross Tanimoto says the smell emanating from the facility is the result of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is created as organic matter breaks down.
“We do get complaints from people down wind,” said Tanimoto. “They come directly to the plant and the plant sends people out every time we get a complaint to investigate.”
Tanimoto says the nearly $12 million in upgrades to the 45 year old plant should eliminate the odor.
“We have existing odor control units which we're going to replace with a newer technology,” said the deputy director. “We also are including new odor control collection ducting. Right now the current ducting is not as efficient, so by changing the ducting we should get a better capture of the foul odor.”
Like many of those who live, work or attend school nearby, Evans is crossing her fingers that the ‘fixes’ to the plant produces results.
“I just hope it works because they've done multiple things to try to stop the smell.”
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