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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Let the dog in!"}]

Smile 26 1 30

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026</title>

Let the dog in!

Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Government & Politics

Columnists

 at the State Capitol that supported an arsenal of bills aimed at disposable vapes. There are bills to ban the devices entirely and bills that would enormously hassle businesses that sell vapes, likely intended to make so difficult to sell here that businesses just throw their hands in the air and give up on their own. Consider those latter bills passive-aggressive bans, "nudge theory" bills that hector citizens into compliance.

The arguments on disposable vapes are all over the map and I can't make any sense of the contradictory angles lawmakers in Hawai‘i bring up. It's just an all-you-can-eat buffet of sound bites that destroy rational thoughts.

[{"type":"text","text":"Where to begin?"}]

Let's start with the fact it is already illegal to sell vapes of any kind to anyone under the age of 21 in Hawai‘i and has been since Jan. 1, 2016. 

You wouldn't know that from the photo of earnest, well-intentioned teenagers lining Beretania Street, demanding that lawmakers protect them from vaping. You certainly wouldn't know that from Dr. Gov. Josh Green standing right in the middle of these kids, holding a sign that reads "Take down tobacco."

 — he might be surprised to find that he already has the tool to solve just about every problem yesterday's rally was about. 

Vaping is ubiquitous in high school bathrooms? Confiscate the vapes. Suspend the kids vaping. It's already contraband. Enforce the law.

[{"type":"text","text":"Stores can't sell to anyone under 21 but somehow teenagers have vapes?"}]

Enforce the 10-year-old law you already have. Maybe, instead of spending time on making vaping even more illegal, the Lege ought to hold some hearings on why Act 122 hasn't worked.

Who blew it? Somebody blew it. (Including some parents. I have no idea why the legal choices of adults have to be based on whether or not some parents can keep their own kids under control.)

Other impressions, looking at the messaging we see in the photo of the rally:

There's a novel argument being deployed here against the "toxic waste" of disposable vapes because they contain disposable batteries. This from a state government that has mandated a conversion of gas-powered automobiles to EVs, containing giant, toxic batteries. Also, what's the difference between the battery thrown away in a vape and the piles of AA and AAA batteries Hawai‘i households throw away all the time? No one even attempts to make logical sense of this. Don't think. Just visualize the toxic waste and ban, ban, ban!

Hawai‘i has a continued, and deliberate, campaign to refer to electronic vapes as "tobacco products." Dr. Gov. Green is literally holding this argument in his hands in the photo. It is, however, not true. There is no tobacco in the electronic alternatives. There is nicotine. That doesn't make them tobacco products any more than Excedrin is a coffee product because it also has caffeine. When government won't call something by its true name, something is wrong with what it's doing.

What local government is doing on vaping is actually making it harder for adults who smoke real, actual tobacco cigarettes to quit them. Consider that the UK's National Health Service — and don't American Democrats just love the UK's NHS? — 

actively encourages smokers to move to e-cigarettes

 to lower their personal health risk while lowering the socialized costs of treating the illnesses associated with smoking.

With that in mind, has Dr. Gov. Green or the state Department of Health attempted to calculate the costs of banning a popular alternative to smoking? How many needless lung cancers and heart attacks will people have as a result? The number isn't zero. It's just not a number the state cares about.

So if there's no tobacco in these products, just nicotine, and the nicotine itself is the problem, why is there never any legislation against the gum, the patches, the lozenges and such that you can buy in Hawai‘i stores, beyond age restrictions? The gum comes in delicious flavors, just like the vapes. Does it not also lure the young ones to a life of vice? What, if anything, makes gum-based nicotine better than vape-based nicotine? 

One possible answer to that has nothing to do with our health and everything to do with moneyed interests behind the scenes. Consider that Nicorette, a major brand producing nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, lozenges and more, is owned by something called 

, a company spun off from pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline, now known as GSK. Look into the ownership of the nicotine products sold as healthcare and you'll find Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and so on.

Look into the ownership of vaping companies sold as cigarette replacements and you find 

One sector is government approved, the other not so much. How approved? "

Nicotine replacement products including gum and 

World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines

," notes Wikipedia, with link to WHO to prove it.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Essential. Medicine."}]

"The spice must flow." If you've read the science fiction classic "Dune," or seen the movies based on it, you know the whole plot is about monopoly control over a mind-sharpening drug called "spice." Here and now, on Earth, powers as big as WHO and as small as yesterday's little rally in Honolulu are playing their parts in a larger drama about who will control — and profit from — the lucrative nicotine trade. Hawai‘i has thrown in with the pharma giants. That's all that is happening. Nothing else said about health or addiction is even relevant, because official Hawai‘i has zero intention of purging nicotine from our system at all. 

Final thought: I don't know what to make of a state government that clamps down on one vice — for our own good! —  while enthusiastically exploring the legalization of 

 because the state is desperate to replace lost federal revenue. Neither of those are exactly safe.

Nanny state is gonna nanny, until revenues drop and then all of a sudden it's, "Hey, what we need now are some stoned slot-machine players we can tax! And lots of 'em!"

See, it's true. When you're addicted to something, like tax revenue, you can rationalize just about any anti-social behavior.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

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97 16x9

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i is hypocritical about vice</title>

Yesterday's rally at the State Capitol against disposable vapes is an example of how lawmakers approach vices with a dazzling mix of inconsistency, hypocrisy and amnesia over the laws they've already passed.

Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i is hypocritical about vice

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Students from across the state were joined by Gov. Josh Green to urge lawmakers to pass bills outlawing disposable vapes in Hawai‘i.

At a rally at the State Capitol Wednesday, scores of keiki — members of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i Youth Council, a program of the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute — waved signs in support of several bills in the state Legislature that would mitigate an epidemic of young people becoming addicted to vapes and e-cigarettes.

, would outright prohibit the sale of disposable vapes in the state, while another, 

, would require vape manufacturers to certify every year that their products are in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations.

As written, HB2121 and SB2175 are functionally identical. Beginning in 2027, both measures would make the sale of “disposable electronic smoking devices” illegal within the state. Both bills specify that the ban only apply to devices that cannot be refilled or have a non-rechargeable battery.

Nate Hix, policy director at the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, told Aloha State Daily that, if the bills were to pass, Hawai‘i would be the first state to implement a ban on disposable vapes. However, other nations have enacted similar bans, including the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, HB1573 sets a series of requirements for vape manufacturers, which would have to prove every year that the FDA had issued their product a “marketing granted order,” without which it would be illegal to market their product in the U.S.

Furthermore, manufacturers would need to prove each year that each of their product lines sold in Hawai‘i are in compliance with state and federal laws, and pay $1,000 for each product line sold in Hawai‘i each year. The state Department of the Attorney General would then maintain a list of products approved to be sold in the state; any manufacturer who fails to prove a product complies with the state’s requirements would have that product de-listed.

Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez said the bill consequently allows the state to remove unlisted products from store shelves. Distributors selling unlisted products would be fined between $500 and $2,000 for each product in violation, while the manufacturer would be fined $10,000 per violation.

Students and politicians spoke Wednesday about the continued prevalence of vapes in schools, with Kohala Sen. Tim Richards — co-introducer of SB2175 — saying that more than one-third of Hawai‘i high schoolers have tried vapes, and that users are four times more likely to take up smoking.

Jeremiah Jacinto, senior at H.P. Baldwin High School, told ASD that vaping is out of control at schools, with school restrooms constantly crowded with illicit vapers.

“It’s gotten to the point where it’s a gamble whether the bathroom is closed because of all the kids vaping,” Jacinto said. “Sometimes the teachers don’t even bother trying to confiscate the vapes anymore.”

Jacinto said he could name “like 50 kids” addicted to vaping, adding that many keiki seem unable to function without a vape.

“It’s like a brain vacuum,” Jacinto said. “It’s like a phone, they can’t leave the house without one in their pocket. They’re always trying to sneak a hit in.”

Kea‘au Rep. Jeanne Kapela — co-introducer of HB2121 — called vape manufacturers “companies selling addiction disguised as candy,” adding that disposable vapes generate needless plastic waste that tends to litter Hawai‘i's beaches and shorelines.

While the lawmakers were optimistic about the bills passing — the House bills are scheduled for a Senate committee hearing on Friday, while the Senate bill passed its first of two committee hearings in the House on Tuesday — they haven’t been uniformly popular. HB2121 and SB2175 have received some opposition by a group called the Hawai‘i Smokers Alliance, which advocates against smoking bans in Hawai‘i.

Michael Zehner, co-chair of the Hawai‘i Smokers Alliance testified on HB2121, calling it a “mean spirited, anti-business mess of a bill” that will destroy local vape retailers.

Meanwhile, a handful of other vape-related bills are still alive in the Legislature, even though they were not discussed at Wednesday’s rally, including HB 1563 and SB 3076.

 would relinquish to the counties the authority to regulate the sale of tobacco products and vapes. This would allow the counties to enact local restrictions on the sale of flavored vape juice — which Jacinto said helps manufacturers target keiki — which the counties of Hawai‘i, Honolulu and Maui have already introduced but cannot actually implement.

 would allow the Attorney General and Department of Taxation to inspect and seize tobacco products including vapes, and that untaxed vapes can be seized as contraband in the same way as untaxed cigarettes.

<title>Governor and attorney general endorse disposable vape ban</title>

Keiki and lawmakers rallied Wednesday in support of bills cracking down on vape sales.

Governor and attorney general endorse disposable vape ban

[{"type":"text","text":"When a service dog sits in front of you on a plane..."}]

Smile 26 3 18

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, March 18, 2026</title>

When a service dog sits in front of you on a plane...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — If hugs were a form of currency, Milan Zarkovic would've been the richest man in Hawai‘i on Thursday. 

The revered former University of Hawai‘i men's volleyball associate head coach, now in the same role with UCLA, returned to the Islands with his new team for the first time as part of the OUTRIGGER Invitational. 

Prior to the beginning of the tournament's first match, a 4 p.m. contest between the No. 1 Bruins and No. 14 Lewis, Zarkovic was the most active individual on the floor. Multiple fans walked down to say hi. There didn't seem to be a person in sight Zarkovic didn't recognize and vice versa, from Stan Sheriff Center employees to officials at the scorers table. 

"Hawai‘i is a big part of my heart," Zarkovic told Aloha State Daily following the match, a UCLA sweep as the Bruins improved to 17-0. "That's why I stayed so many years. These nice, wonderful players, the players that they have before, the friends. That is something that makes me feel special here."

Despite trading his aloha shirt for a UCLA polo, there was no love lost between Zarkovic and the place he had called home for a dozen years. 

"All I knew since I've been here was a volleyball program with Milan as the assistant coach," said Spectrum Sports analyst and local club volleyball coach James Anastassiades, who played for the 'Bows from 2016 to 2020, then served as a graduate assistant in 2021. "My favorite memory is just his personality. He's so unique in a coach's aspect that he really cares, and the chemistry he builds with everyone on the roster is huge. Just coming into practice every day, he's always cracking jokes, always making you feel good, and then obviously, the volleyball aspect, he's just so knowledgeable.

 has done a terrific job. I've got a lot of really good feedback from the guys. They say it's been terrific. But Milan, I'm happy for him. I think he's doing a great job at UCLA. Obviously, their record's really good, and I think he adds a lot of value to them. And he seems happy. So, it's a bittersweet feeling."

's staff in the fall of 2013, following his son, Sinisa, to the Islands. Sinisa Zarkovic was a standout outside hitter from 2013 to 2016, earning second team All-AVCA honors as a senior. 

Milan Zarkovic, a native of Serbia, also obtained American citizenship in August 2023. He was named the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year that same year, which followed consecutive national championships in 2021 and 2022. Throughout his time in Mānoa, he endeared himself to the team, adding to the program's international flavor. He still doesn't understate how difficult it was to leave. 

"That was the one of the hardest moment in my life, because my family is here, my best friends are here. My son is married here," Zarkovic said. "It was a really hard decision."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"No. 3 Hawai‘i 3, Mount Olive 0"}]

In Thursday's nightcap, host No. 3 Hawai‘i swept Mount Olive 25-18, 25-19, 25-17 behind a match-high 10 kills from 

. The Bulgaria native missed the previous 11 matches. 

"It feels nice to be back there in front of the fans," said Titriyski, who entered to a loud ovation in the beginning of the second set. "It makes me really happy and i'm thankful for that."

, UH Mānoa's campus will be closed. That also led to all athletic events scheduled to take place on Friday being called off on Thursday, which includes the second day of the OUTRIGGER Invitational. Hawai‘i will no longer play Lewis, while UCLA will not take on Mount Olive. 

Saturday's 7 p.m. showdown between No. 1 UCLA and No. 3 Hawai‘i, which was already determined a sellout over a week in advance, is still on, weather permitting. 

While UCLA and Mount Olive are set to leave following Saturday's action, there remains a possibility Lewis extends its trip in the Islands in order to play against Hawai‘i on Sunday. 

With campus closed, the Rainbow Warriors have been told they are not allowed to practice or receive treatment in the training room on Friday. The plan, as of Thursday night, is for the 'Bows to reconvene on Saturday ahead of their biggest match of the season thus far. 

"We don't get (Friday) to prepare," Wade said. "We show up on Saturday and do serve and pass to play the game like it was a regular kind of game day. It's kind of a forced complete day off."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday showdown"}]

UCLA will put its perfect season on the line when it enters a packed and spirited Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday night. It'll certainly be a familiar atmosphere to Zarkovic, who believes the matchup features the best the country has to offer. 

"That will be the two best teams in America by my criterions. That will be the battle here in front of these wonderful people," said Zarkovic, who acknowledged that playing in front of 10,000 fans will be new to most of UCLA's players. "They will have that opportunity, and I think that we will be also inspired. The spectators will not inspire only Hawai‘i. They will inspire both teams."

Milan Zarkovic 031226

<title>Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball assistant coach Milan Zarkovic returns to Islands with…</title>

After 12 seasons on UH's staff, Zarkovic is in his first season as UCLA's associate head coach.

Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball assistant coach Milan Zarkovic returns to Islands with UCLA

Kenneth Kaneshiro

Dr. Kenneth Y. Kaneshiro

Fumiko Chun

Viewpoints

Aloha Spirit

began with a simple idea: that ordinary citizens, acting together, can make a difference in restoring the Ala Wai Canal.

Since 2019, more than 17,000 volunteers from over 300 schools, businesses, and community groups combined have joined us to make over 270,000 Genki Balls, all without any government funding. Every step of this effort has been powered by donations and volunteer energy. Together, we have seen tangible progress: over 20 inches of polluted sludge reduced, cleaner water with far fewer Enterococci bacteria (a key indicator of sewage pollution) near the Hawai‘i Convention Center, and the return of marine life to areas where it had long disappeared. Today, sightings of native fish, hammerhead sharks, spotted eagle rays, and even monk seals are beginning to change the reputation of one of Hawaiʻi's most polluted waterways.

Three months ago, Civil Beat published an article titled 

Hawai‘i Loves ‘Genki Balls’ To Clean Water. New Studies Say They Don’t Work

 The headline was based on a tank experiment conducted by researchers at Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) in Hāmākua Marsh. The researchers suggested that Genki Balls not only failed to improve water quality but actually worsened it.

While we respect their effort to study Genki Balls and Effective Microorganisms® (EM®), we want to clarify that the experiment does not represent the Ala Wai Canal or the decades of successful EM use and studies in more than 100 countries over the past 40 years. One of the most encouraging data points comes from the Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force site near the mouth of the canal. In 2020, only 44 percent of water samples met Department of Health safety standards for Enterococci. As of late 2025, that figure has increased to 74 percent over the past 12 months, reflecting the combined impact of community action, EM treatment, and greater public awareness of pollution sources.

We are a volunteer-based initiative focused on collaboration and education. However, since the article’s publication, participation in our free monthly community events has dropped by more than 70%. This misunderstanding has hurt a movement built on stewardship, and community pride. We feel a responsibility to clarify key points where the study and subsequent reporting may have created confusion.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Concerns with conclusions of the HPU study"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"1. Incomplete microbial analysis"}]

 — measured bacterial community composition using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. However, this method does not capture yeasts and fungi, which make up one of the three major microbial groups in EM formulations (lactic acid bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria, and yeasts). Yeasts and fungi play essential roles in nutrient cycling, organic matter breakdown, and microbial community balance. These organisms are typically analyzed through ITS or 18S sequencing, which the HPU study did not perform. As a result, the findings represent only a portion of EM’s full microbial function.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"2. Misinterpretation of EM’s ecological role"}]

EM microorganisms act as catalysts, not as dominant species. Their purpose is to activate and rebalance native microbes, not to replace them. Measuring EM “dominance” rather than its biological activity overlooks how EM functions in nature and supports natural ecosystems.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"3. Limitations to tank setup"}]

The tanks used an equal ratio of sludge to water, which does not reflect the real conditions in the Hāmākua Canal, where water depth reaches about eight feet and sediment is much thinner. And as with most tank studies, they can offer insights, but they cannot fully mirror the complexity of natural waterways.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What this means"}]

After the study and the media coverage that followed, we requested a private meeting with the HPU researchers to share this scientific context and to explore collaboration. The university declined to meet until after publishing the completed study at Hāmākua Marsh, which used only 200 Genki Balls over the course of two years. By comparison, 

deployed over 270,000 balls over the course of six years, with as many as 5,000 Genki Balls on 

 An experiment using only 200 Genki Balls could not demonstrate the cumulative or long-term effects of EM technology, which depend on continuous application and natural activation.

Our team has invested more than $50,000 in independent, third-party water testing in the Ala Wai to fulfill the parameters set by the state Department of Health, and has made the results publicly available on our website. We also shared expert 

 from Dr. Gustavo Pinoargote, microbiologist and president of EMRO USA, with HPU and Civil Beat. Pinoargote’s professional comments identified specific gaps in the HPU study’s methods and interpretation. Unfortunately, those insights were not included in the Civil Beat article. Including them could have helped the public better understand how EM technology works and prevented much of the confusion that followed.

We respectfully invite Civil Beat to consider a follow-up article focused on the scientific facts and the shared goal we all hold — to better understand what truly helps restore Hawai‘i's waters. We also extend our offer to provide Genki Balls for more comprehensive, collaborative testing to determine whether EM can contribute to restoring the ecosystem in Hāmākua Marsh.

(Further academic papers on EM can be found 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Moving forward"}]

In 2019, we began with six volunteers making mud balls with students from Jefferson and Ala Wai Elementary Schools. Soon local businesses and community groups joined in. Today, more than 4,000 visitors from overseas have helped clean our canal. What began as a small act of stewardship has grown into a community movement. This is not our project; it is everyone’s project.

The Genki Ala Wai Project reflects the spirit of aloha and kuleana, a shared responsibility to care for the places we love. It gives people a way to take part in protecting our environment. We are proud that the project is 100% donation-driven, supported entirely by residents, local sponsors, and friends from around the world.

We are also the first to acknowledge that Genki Balls are not a cure-all. They are designed primarily to reduce sludge and restore microbial balance. After 270,000 balls, we now see sand where there was once thick sludge, and the unpleasant odor has diminished. Broader problems such as runoff, pollutants, and trash require coordinated action throughout the entire ahupua‘a. Cleaning the Ala Wai is not only an environmental challenge but a broader socio-economic challenge that connects issues such as stormwater management and houselessness.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A call for collaboration"}]

We invite families, schools, scientists, businesses, and community members to join us at our free community event on the first Saturday of each month at Kapahulu Library Lawn. Together, we make Genki Balls, learn about our watershed, and take collective action to restore our waterways.

We are also seeking research partners to help monitor and analyze water quality. Our hope is to collaborate with local laboratories and universities to identify pollution sources and create strategies for long-term restoration. We would also appreciate others sharing any existing Ala Wai data to help us build a more complete public database. We welcome participation from HPU researchers and scientists throughout Hawai‘i who share the same goals.

If you have attended an event or live near the Ala Wai and have noticed changes in smell, water clarity, or marine life, please write to us at 

. Your observations help us document progress and inspire others to get involved.

Finally, we are waiting for the renewal of our Department of Health permit to apply the liquid form of EM solution into the Ala Wai. This method, used successfully in many parts of the world, works like probiotics for the ocean, helping restore natural microbial balance. We hope to begin once the permit is renewed.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"From division to collaboration"}]

From division, we choose collaboration. From debate, we choose dialogue. Science grows stronger through openness, transparency, and shared purpose, not through division.

Nicholas Carrillo, a fourth grader at Mililani Ike Elementary School and our youngest member who serves as the MC at our community events, reminds us:

“The Ala Wai belongs to the marine life who call it home, the fish, the turtles, the monk seals, and the coral that thrive downstream in Waikiki and Ala Moana. We clean the canal not only for ourselves, but for them.”

Join us at our next community event on Saturday, January 3, (click 

 to sign up) and be part of this growing movement to make the Ala Wai clean and swimmable again in our lifetime.

[{"type":"text","text":"Genki Hou! (Healthy again!)"}]

Dr. Kenneth Y. Kaneshiro is the director of the Center for Conservation Research and Training at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He also serves as President of the Hawai‘i Exemplary State Foundation, which the Genki Ala Wai Project serves under.

Fumiko Chun is the community liaison with the Genki Ala Wai Project.

Gengki ball volunteers

<title>Community Voices: Collaboration, not controversy — the real story of genki balls and the…</title>

A Civil Beat article a few months ago looked at Hawai‘i Pacific University research suggesting that Genki Balls are ineffective. Since then, volunteers for Genki Ball days have dropped by 70%. Here, Genki Ala Wai Project leaders discuss the shortcomings of the HPU study and call for scientists and community members working together as the way forward.

Community Voices: Collaboration, not controversy — the real story of genki balls and the Ala Wai

 throughout much of the state, only one plan to extract freshwater from the ocean remains active.

Three separate desalination projects have been proposed on different islands over the last decade. But of those three, only one is still being developed, while another project has ended and the third never really began.

Pūlama Lāna‘i, the land management company established in 2012 by the island’s owner Larry Ellison, had plans to develop a desalination plant on the island in order to support greater housing developments on the island. Maui County planning records 

 that the facility, a 15-acre plant located near Manele Golf Course on the island’s southern coast, would be able to provide 5 million gallons of freshwater per day.

However, by 2015, those plans stalled, after the Lāna‘i Planning Commission only granted Pūlama Lāna‘i a 15-year permit for the facility, rather than a 30-year one as initially requested.

 from Planning Commission meetings in 2014 show skepticism from commissioners and residents about the project, including concerns about the health of the island’s aquifer, which was already overextended at the time, and the potential for a failure at the plant to compromise the island’s primary water source.

 in 2015 suggested that Pūlama Lāna‘i still intended to develop a desalination plant, but as of 2025, no such plans have materialized.

Two other desalination projects have produced more tangible results. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $1.9 million to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority to develop a prototype solar-powered desalination facility in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.

That facility was reportedly successful, with project partner Trevi Systems 

 in 2024 that the facility could produce 500 cubic meters — about 132,000 gallons — of fresh water per day without reliance on an external energy grid.

However, the NELHA facility was a test project only that 

 between June 2022 and September 2023. While the project paved the way for larger-scale renewable desalination facilities in the future, none have so far been proposed for Hawai‘i.

The third facility, planned on O‘ahu, is gradually moving toward reality. The Kalaeloa Seawater Desalination Facility is planned for construction at Campbell Industrial Park, with a proposed yield of 1.7 million gallons of water per day.

, Honolulu County consumed nearly 45 billion gallons of water between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, averaging out to about 123 million gallons per day.

While construction has not yet started on the $204 million Kalaeloa facility — which is scheduled to go online in 2027 — the bureaucratic process continues apace. According to a project 

, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply approved in May a test report that concluded that the water produced by the facility will not cause any detrimental impact to customer pipes or existing water infrastructure.

Aloha State Daily reached out to the Board of Water Supply, NELHA and Pūlama Lāna‘i for comment.

Kona1 0 16x9

<title>Still salty: Only one desalination project in Hawai‘i still alive</title>

The ongoing legal battle over water on Maui amid drought conditions had us wondering — we're surrounded by water, could desalination help ease Hawai‘i's water woes? Here's what we've learned about three desalination projects in the Islands.

Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Friday, January 30, 2026

Authors

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