1. City and County of Honolulu
Wastewater Information Meeting
August 1, 2011, 7 p.m.,
Mission Memorial Auditorium

2. Agenda
• Welcome
• CCH Wastewater Video
• ENV Director Tim Steinberger
• Synagro CEO/President Bill Massa
• DOH Acting Chief Sina Pruder, WWB
• Aug. 3 City Council - Public Works

3. CCH Wastewater Video

4. Opening Statements
• Building the Sand Island WWTP sludge treatment
had three objectives.
1) Replace old system
2) Recycle/Sustainable
3) Reduce burden on WGSL
• From the inception, the City anticipated the need
for a second sludge digester to accommodate
population growth and improve WW treatment.
• The sludge digester makes wastewater solids
ready for reuse as fertilizer.

5. Opening Statements
• Second digester and interim treatment project was
eliminated from the budget.
• We may have to truck sludge and need to be ready
in case it’s necessary.
• What we’re planning to do now is begin a feasibility
study.
• We will conduct an Environmental Assessment to
make sure we are fully prepared.

6. Sand Island WWTP
Solids Handling
• Online circa 1976
• Ocean outfall 1.7 miles, 240 ft. deep
• 1981, low pressure oxidation system
online
• 2004 City discontinues LPO and brought
online anaerobic digestion, centrifuge,
pellet reuse (Granulite)
• In-vessel bioconversion

7. Solids Handling
Disinfection and Disposal
Current
Normal Methane to flare
Current Current Current
Normal
Normal Normal
GT WSST

8. Sand Island
Pellets
Dryer
Anaerobic
HDWK Clarifier GT WSST Centrifuge
Digestion
Honouliuli
LF
Anaerobic
HDWK Clarifier GT WSST Centrifuge
Digestion

9. Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Service Area
• Salt Lake to Kuliouou
• Koolaus to the ocean
• Largest treatment plant in the state
• Treats 60% of the island’s wastewater

10. How we got here?

11. Federal and State Regulations
Cleaner More
Water Sludge

12. Response to System Failures
Failure Modes
• Total Failure
• Partial Failure
–Non-compliance with regulations,
permits, GCD
• Preventive Measures
–Minimizing Risks

13. The Contingency Plans
1. Remove-Truck wastewater sludge from
the Sand Island WWTP and to other
suitably equipped WWTPs, including
Honouliuli, Waianae and Kailua.
2. Place a moratorium on new metropolitan
area building permits that require sewer
connection to the Sand Island WWTP.
Only permits not yet issued would be
affected.

14. Trucking the Sludge

15. Only 3 treatment plants with the
facilities to handle the job
Waianae Kailua Honouliuli
Recovering from In the middle of
trucking of flood CIP improvement
waters from projects that need
Waimanalo to be completed
Gulch Landfill before it is
suitable

16. Things we don’t know
• How much can we truck to each of the
other treatment plants before we create a
potential problem there?
• Can we realistically accomplish the
transfer with the equipment we have?
• What odor problems will be created and
how can they be resolved?

17. Feasibility Study
Start date: August 2011
Number of trucks: No more than 1 tanker per day
Destination: Honouliuli WWTP
Trucking period: No more than 30 days
Monitoring: Initial hauling will be evaluated
Further study options include: hauling to Honouliuli WWTP to
address any issues that arose in the initial testing or to initiate
similar tests with Kailua Regional WWTP and Waianae WWTP to
evaluate the ability to treat the hauled sludge.

18. Environmental Assessment

21. Bill Massa
President & CEO
Synagro Headquarters
Houston, TX

22. Sina Pruder
State Department of Health
Acting Chief Wastewater Branch

23. What are Biosolids?
Department of Heath
Environmental Management Division
Wastewater Branch

24. What are Biosolids?
They are nutrient-rich organic materials resulting
from the treatment of domestic sewage in a
treatment facility. When treated and processed,
these residuals can be recycled and applied as
fertilizer to improve and maintain productive
soils and stimulate plant growth.

25. What is the difference between biosolids
and sludge?
Biosolids are treated sewage sludge.
Biosolids are carefully treated and monitored
and must be used in accordance with
regulatory requirements.

26. Class A and Class B Biosolids
To ensure that biosolids applied to the land do not threaten
public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) created the 40 CFR Part 503 Rule (effective on March
1993). It categorizes biosolids as Class A or B, depending
on the level of pathogens in the material, and describes
specific processes to reduce pathogens to these levels.
The rule also requires “vector attraction reduction” (VAR) –
reducing the potential for spreading of infectious disease
agents by vectors (i.e., flies, rodents and birds).

27. Class A Biosolids
• Class A biosolids contain minute levels of pathogens. To achieve Class A
certification, biosolids must undergo heating, composting, digestion or
increased pH that reduces pathogens to below detectable levels. Some
treatment processes change the composition of the biosolids to a pellet or
granular substance, which can be used as a commercial fertilizer.
• The biosolids must also meet stringent pollutant ceiling concentration limits
for 10 metals. Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Mercury,
Molybdenum, Nickel, Selenium and Zinc.
• It must also meet a vector attraction method specified by 503.
• Once these goals are achieved, Class A biosolids can be land applied without
any pathogen-related restrictions at the site. Class A biosolids can be bagged
and marketed to the public for application to lawns and gardens.

28. The term “exceptional quality” (EQ) is a category that was
developed by EPA to characterize biosolids that may be used in
beneficial use programs without a lot of regulatory oversight.
“Exceptional quality” is an EPA term to define biosolids that
meet the highest level of quality in three categories:
1. Reduction of pathogens;
2. Reduction of vector attraction (odor); and
3. Low concentrations of specific metals.
EQ biosolids have relatively few restrictions for use. They can, in
fact, be used in home gardens.
The Synagro plant produces Exceptional Quality Biosolids.

29. The Synagro In-Vessel Bioconversion Facility and the City
and County of Honolulu has an Individual Permit with DOH
for the treatment of Sand Island WWTP sludge to EQ
Biosolids.
Synagro submits monthly pathogen, metals, and total
solids data for their pellets for our review and approval
before release to the public.
Synagro has met the specific 503 pathogen, metals and
vector attraction requirements since 2006 for EQ biosolids.
.

30. Synagro’s Annual Pellet Distribution Figures
2008
54% distributed for reuse
46% landfilled
2009
37% distributed for reuse
63% landfilled
2010
82% distributed for reuse
17% landfilled
2011
Projected to be on mark with 2010 figures.

31. Class B Biosolids
Class B biosolids have less stringent standards for the
treatment and contain detectible levels of pathogens.
Class B requirements ensure that pathogens in biosolids
have been reduced to levels that protect public health and
the environment and include certain restrictions for crop
harvesting, grazing animals and public contact for all forms
of Class B biosolids.

32. Are biosolids safe?
The National Academy of Sciences has reviewed current practices, public
health concerns and regulator standards, and has concluded that "the use
of these materials in the production of crops for human consumption when
practiced in accordance with existing federal guidelines and regulations,
presents negligible risk to the consumer, to crop production and to the
environment."
Note: To date, there has been no reported cases of food
contamination outbreaks or illnesses associated with the
use of biosolids produced by Synagro and Maui Eko.
.

33. Do biosolids smell?
Biosolids may have their own distinctive odor
depending on the type of treatment it has been
through. Some biosolids may have only a slight musty,
ammonia odor. Others have a stronger odor that may
be offensive to some people. Much of the odor is
caused by compounds containing sulfur and ammonia,
both of which are plant nutrients

34. What are the benefits of recycling biosolids?
Recycling biosolids is good for the environment.
Organic matter and nutrients have been recycled
for centuries to improve soil fertility and
productivity. When properly applied and managed,
biosolids can provide essential plant nutrients,
improve soil structure, add organic matter,
enhance moisture retention, and reduce soil
erosion.

35. The Department of Health supports and promotes reuse
for both Biosolids and Water Reclamation.
For biosolids, whatever can be reused saves our valuable
landfill space. Recycled water is wastewater that has been
treated to a level suitable for industrial processing, irrigation
and other non-drinking uses. Recycled water is available year
round, even in times of drought. It is good for the
environment and it costs less than other new water sources.
.

36. What’s next?
• Start $1.55 million for planning, permitting
and designing
• Resubmit project in FY13 budget
• Conduct Feasibility Study for hauling sludge
to WWTPs
• Proceed with EA
• Address Council Resolution 11-182

37. City Council Briefing
August 3, 2011, 1:00 pm
Honolulu Hale
Written and/or oral comments accepted