About the Project
Our mission is to empower students, teachers,
and the community to work together to restore the ecosystem in the Ala Wai Canal.
The Problem
Since its creation the Ala Wai Canal has been a depository for mud, organic debris, trash and various other pollutants. Sludge (rotten, organic material) forms and accumulates as a result of oxygen deficiency. Within the sludge, putrefactive bacteria decompose the organic matter, but also produce harmful gases such as methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. These compounds result in the canal having a toxic environment.
A Potential Solution
Bioremediation is the introduction of living organisms to enable an environmentally friendly means of removing pollutants from soil and water without negatively impacting or altering the natural ecosystem. Nearly all organic compounds can be digested by bacteria. In Japan and Hawai’i, there are multiple examples of the use of Effective Microorganisms® (EM®) successfully eliminating sludge from previously polluted waterways. The Genki Balls made for this project are mud balls that contain billions of Effective Microorganisms®, which sink to the bottom of the canal to digest the sludge and act as a “probiotic” for the environment.
The Project Goal
Our goal is to use EM® bioremediation technology to clean up the Ala Wai Canal by 2026, making it safe for fishing and swimming again. We hope that the success of this project will inspire the cleanup of other polluted waterways on the island.
How We Started
The project and its name were inspired by the Osaka Fisherman’s Cooperative in Japan, which successfully used EM® (Effective Microorganisims®) Technology to clean up Dōtonbori River and Osaka Bay from 2003 to 2006. "Genki" is the Japanese word meaning healthy, vital, or energetic. The proposal to use EM® for the Ala Wai canal’s cleanup was first proposed in 2006, following the diversion of over 48 million gallons of sewage into the canal. Unfortunately, the required permitting was not granted at the time. Thirteen years later, the necessary permits were granted, and The Genki Ala Wai Project was founded under Dr. Ken Kaneshiro’s non-profit organization, Hawai’i Exemplary State Foundation.
Due to the pandemic, the Hawai’i Exemplary State Foundation’s expected federal funding was canceled. Thanks to our fantastic volunteers and generous donors, the Genki Ala Wai project has been operating and expanding on a volunteer and donation basis since 2019. Mahalo for your support! Let’s continue to make history.