At the Aug. 3 meeting of the City Council’s Public Works and Sustainability Committee, members heard testimony from companies on alternative sewage treatment technologies that could address the city’s concerns related to public health and safety and potentially save taxpayers millions of dollars.
Promising technologies presented at the meeting included:
» Renewable technology that produces green electricity, oxygen and distilled water as byproducts. This technology can be modified to produce heating oil, 90-octane gas, jet fuel, methane, syngas or lubricants.
» A technology that uses water at high temperature and pressure to destroy toxic wastes such as sewage sludge. The process generates heat and produces electricity for resale. Its closed system has no odor and produces no hazardous byproducts.
» A system that processes sludge and produces marketable products that may be potentially profitable. This system converts waste into energy and creates no greenhouse gases.
» A technology that uses a culture of beneficial microorganisms that feed off, break down and completely digest sludge, oil, grease and organic debris.
Some of these technologies are already approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health and are being utilized here and in other municipalities around the world. These technologies may prove to be in the taxpayers’ best interest, as they could prove to be cost-effective, environmentally friendly and have the potential to generate revenue through energy production. Several of these private companies are also willing to finance pilot projects to demonstrate the claimed benefits of these technologies at their own expense, with no upfront cost to our city. These technologies could potentially move Oahu closer to our ultimate goal of energy independence.
On July 6, the Council adopted Resolution 11-182, urging the city administration to investigate alternative technologies for the beneficial reuse of sewage sludge. We encourage the Department of Environmental Services to conduct a fair and clear investigation of alternatives so we can ensure that our wastewater facilities are using the best suited technologies for Hono-lulu.
The city’s consultant tasked to coordinate the study of these technologies should send an advisory and request for information to the entire sewage treatment industry.
The city needs to be accountable for every cent spent, especially with the economy in such dire straits. Going forward, the bottom line is that whatever technology we choose, it must have the capability of saving our taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.
