Kāne‘ohe  –  Kailua  Wastewater  Conveyance  &    

Treatment  Facilities  Project  

 

Fact  Sheet    
updated  June  2018  
 
 
Project  
The  Kāne‘ohe-­Kailua  Wastewater  Conveyance  &  Treatment  Facilities  Project  is  improving  one  of  many  
wastewater  collection  systems  in  Hawai‘i.  The  project  is  mostly  known  for  its  Kāne‘ohe-­Kailua  Gravity  
Sewer  Tunnel  phase  but  also  includes  a  new  pump  station,  headworks  facility,  generator  building,  odor  
control  facilities,  and  tunnel  influent  facility.  
 
Approximately  three  miles  long,  the  tunnel  uses  gravity,  rather  than  a  force  main,  to  transport  sewage.  
This  eliminates  aboveground  wastewater  storage,  reduces  overall  costs  and  helps  preserve  Kāne‘ohe  
Bay.  (Originally  the  plan  was  to  replace  the  existing  force  main  with  a  new  one  in  Kāne‘ohe  Bay,  but  it  
was  decided  that  the  possibility  of  a  rupture  in  the  bay  was  too  risky.)  
 
Construction  of  the  Kāne‘ohe-­Kailua  Wastewater  Conveyance  and  Treatment  Facilities  Project  lasted  six  
years  and  involved  three  construction  contracts  (three  different  project  phases).    
 
 
Phase  1  –  Gravity  Sewer  Tunnel  
Tunnel  Boring  Machine  (TBM)  technology  was  used  for  the  gravity  sewer  project.  This  technology  used  
mechanical  excavation  for  hard  rock  rather  than  blasting.  More  than  90  percent  of  the  Kāne‘ohe-­Kailua  
tunnel  route  is  deeper  than  100  feet  and  the  TBM  mined  underground  between  nearby  residences  without  
causing  any  damage  aboveground.  
 
TBM  technology  is  widely  used.  However,  this  is  
Hawai‘i’s  first  sewer  tunnel  created  with  such  a  
machine.      
 
The  TBM  team  began  mining  on  April  30,  2015  and  
“holed-­through”  on  June  28,  2016.  
 
 
Construction  of  the  KK  Tunnel  –  Alignment  (see  
blue  line  in  map  graphic)  
 
•   The  first  leg  of  the  tunnel  started  at  the  shaft  
within  the  Kailua  Regional  Wastewater  
Treatment  Plant  (RWWTP)  and  then  beneath  
Aikahi  Gardens  under  Halia  Street.  
•   From  there,  the  tunnel  alignment  runs  under  the  
Kailua  side  of  the  H3  freeway  and  straight  
through  the  center  of  Oneawa  Hills.    
•   It  then  continues  under  Mokapu  Blvd.  with  a  
slight  curve  until  it  crosses  under  Kāne‘ohe  Bay  
Drive.    
•   The  final  leg  goes  under  Bay  View  Golf  Course.  
The  TBM  exited  at  the  Kāne‘ohe  Wastewater  
Blessing  of  tunnel  boring  machine,  Kailua     Pre-­Treatment  Facility  (WPTF).    

City  &  County  of  Honolulu  2018,  www.kktunnel.org  

 Kāne‘ohe – Kailua Wastewater Conveyance &
Kāne‘ohe  –  Kailua  Wastewater  Conveyance  &    
Treatment Facilities Project
Treatment  Facilities  Project  
 

Kailua
RWWTP

Existing Force Main

Tunnel Alignment
Kāne‘ohe
WPTF
Intermediate Shaft Site

   
 
Phase  2  -­  Construction  of  Tunnel  Influent  Pump  Station  (TIPS)      
Phase 2 - Construction of Tunnel Influent Pump Station (TIPS)
The  construction  of  the  TIPS  began  February  16,  2016.  It  included  the  construction  of  a  45  million  gallons  
The construction of the TIPS began on February 16, 2016. It included the construction of a 45 million
per  day  (MGD)  pump  station,  headworks  and  odor  control  facilities,  generator/medium-­voltage  building,  
gallons per day (MGD) pump station, headworks and odor control facilities, generator/medium-voltage
building, and 15 MGD capacity mini-Kailua influent pump station at the Kailua    RWWTP.
and  15  MGD  capacity  mini-­Kailua  influent  pump  station  at  the  Kailua  RWWTP.
 

Phase  3  -­  Construction  of  Tunnel  Influent  Facility  (TIF)    

Phase 3 - Construction of Tunnel Influent Facility (TIF)
The  construction  of  the  TIF  began  on  June  19,  2017.  It  included  structural  finishing,  mechanical,  
The construction of the TIF began on June 19, 2017. It included structural finishing, mechanical,
architectural,  electrical,  and  instrumentation  work  at  the  ‘Āhuimanu-­Kāne‘ohe  Diversion  Structure,  the  
architectural, electrical, and instrumentation work at the ‘Āhuimanu-Kāne‘ohe Diversion Structure, the
‘Āhuimanu-­Kane’ohe  Drop  Structure,  and  Junction  Structure;;  a  new  generator/electrical  building;;  and  
‘Āhuimanu-Kane’ohe Drop Structure, and Junction Structure; a new generator/electrical building; and
odor  control  system  improvements  at  the  beginning  of  the  tunnel  within  the  Kāne‘ohe  WPTF.    
odor control system improvements at the beginning of the tunnel within the Kāne‘ohe WPTF.

Intermediate  Shaft  Site  

Construction  of  the  Kāne‘ohe  Shaft  and  Junction  Structure  

Construction of the Kāne‘ohe Shaft and Junction Structure
On  May  14,  2018,  wastewater  entering  Kāne‘ohe  WPTF  was  diverted  to  the  tunnel  for  the  first  time  by  
On May 14, 2018, wastewater entering Kāne‘ohe WPTF was diverted to the tunnel for the first time by
various  diversion,  junction,  and  drop  structures.  The  tunnel  is  now  in  service  and  using  gravity  to  transport  
various diversion, junction, and drop structures. The tunnel is now in service and using gravity to transport
the  wastewater  from  Kāne‘ohe  to  Kailua  where  it  is  being  pumped  to  and  treated  at  the  Kailua  RWWTP.    
the wastewater from Kāne‘ohe to Kailua where it is being pumped to and treated at the Kailua RWWTP.
 
For  more  information  on  the  project,  please  visit:    www.kktunnel.org    
For more information on the project, please visit: www.kktunnel.org

City & County of Honolulu 2018, www.kktunnel.org

City  &  County  of  Honolulu  2018,  www.kktunnel.org