Blessing held for new Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant facility

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – City leaders gathered to celebrate a new facility at the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

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Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Department of Environmental Services Director Roger Babcock attended a blessing for the new Membrane Bioreactor facility on Tuesday at noon.

“This project is about much more than a wastewater treatment plant,” Blangiardi said. “It is a part of a broader vision to modernize our infrastructure and build a more resilient island for generations to come.”

A Membrane Bioreactor facility treats wastewater by using bacteria to break down and separate waste biologically.

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“All secondary processes are a biological process,” Babcock said. “Most of them involve secondary clarifiers, a biological tank, and then a second stage which is a gravity settling process.”

Leaders say this new technology is a step toward protecting Oahu’s ocean and coastal waters.

“As our community grows and our challenges evolve, we must continue investing in the essential systems that protect public health, our environment, and truly our quality of life,” Blangiardi said. “We are not simply maintaining aging infrastructure. We are transforming it to meet the needs of tomorrow.”

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