New grants awarded to support Ala Wai water quality improvements

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - New funding has been awarded to help improve the Ala Wai water quality.

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program awarded six grants totaling $200,000 to green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects in the Ala Wai canal.

The GSI projects are part of the Ola Waikiki project, a transformative effort aimed at improving the health of the Ala Wai Canal through bettering the water quality through sustainable solutions.

The GSI projects are combined of a collection of design strategies that mimic nature to manage and treat stormwater.

The various strategies use methods such as encouraging water to infiltrate into the ground, minimizing and slowing the flow of runoff and removing contaminants.

They range from native rain gardens and tree planting to floating treatment wetlands, all of which help to filter pollutants

Some of the six community-led projects that were awarded grants include the Restoring Roots at Puʻu o Kaimuki Mini Park project and the Pu’uhonua project.

The Roots at Pu’u o Kaimuki will feature erosion control and native biodiversity restoration will be prioritized to reduce runoff, promote traditional ecological knowledge and engage volunteers in creating a more resilient urban ecosystem.

The Pu’uhonua project will feature floating wetlands made up of Native Hawaiian plants that will be deployed in the Ala Wai Canal to help improve water quality, enhance biodiversity and explore cost-effective ecological restoration methods.

To read more about the awarded projects, visit the Ola Waikiki website here.