2018-01-18 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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Wednesday, January 10, 2018 10:45 a.m. to 12:07 p.m. Limited Meeting and Site Visit Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant and Disposal Sump Commissioners present: Richard Bennett, Ph.D., Chair Jon Olson, Vice Chair James Fritz Jeffry Fear Staff present: Diane Noda, Deputy Director Keyra Wong, Deputy Corporation Counsel Mary Fujio, Secretary Alika DeMello, Wastewater Superintendent Ms. Noda introduced Alika DeMello, the Wastewater Superintendent at the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant, who provided a tour of the plant to the commissioners. Mr. DeMello guided everyone through the Headworks building, which contained multiple components, including the bar screen and grit chamber. He also showed them the influent composite sampler, which collects the raw wastewater inflow, and the influent flow meter, which monitors the incoming wastewater flow. The grit chamber is where the heavier non-organic material is removed. It included two bar screens which were under circular covers. They entered the room where the grit gets pumped to the grit classifier, which pumps the material into a hopper. When the hopper gets full, a dump truck is reversed under it and filled with the grit and screenings from the bar screens, and it is taken to the Puʻuanahulu landfill to be disposed of. Mr. DeMello next showed the commissioners the Chlorination Room and the Motor Control Center room, which contained the effluent pumps and the starters for the blowers. He then guided the commissioners to the lagoons and explained that the process is all biological and that oxygen is at the heart of the plant. There are a total of five lagoons, with room to add a sixth. At the time of the visit the air was off to a few of the lagoons for maintenance, and the flow was through Lagoons 1, 2, 5, and then to the Effluent Building for chlorination. Most of the treatment gets done in Lagoons 1 and 2, and when it is in Lagoon 3 it can be fit for discharge. Algae is a big problem with the lagoons and causes the total suspended solids to increase. Another lagoon is needed to in order to drop their regulatory limits for total suspended solids. Last, Mr. DeMello showed everyone the Effluent Building, which had new effluent pumps that are more efficient and an effluent composite sampler which collects the treated wastewater for their process and regulatory testing.