Water Reuse

We’re learning about the newest strategies in Hawaiʻi for recycling wastewater to help protect our fresh water supply and the environment. Recycling and Reusing our fresh water will not only help protect our fresh water supply for future generations, but also help to protect the environment by keeping fresh water in local streams and underground aquifers and preventing excess nutrients from going into the ocean and onto our reefs.

We start off with Joy Gannon at the innovative, and beautiful, Mānele Bay wastewater treatment facility on Lānaʻi. Lānaʻi has the capacity to recycle 100% of their fresh water — serving as an example for the state.
Then, we head to Kunia farms, on Oʻahu, with Elson Gushiken, checking out local produce being grown with recycled water from the Schofield wastewater treatment plant.
Next, we tour the new University of Hawaiʻi West O‘ahu Admin and Allied Health Building, with Lauren Roth Venu, investigating out the design and technology that allows the recycling of water used inside the building as well as the capture of rain water outside.
Last, we catch up with water recycling expert Dr. Bahman Sheik at the Hawaii Convention Center during the Pacifice Water Conference. He talks about creating water reuse systems and how the fruits and vegetables that we import from other places are often grown with treated wastewater.

Watch the trailer for Season 6, Episode 7 on Vimeo or Youtube.