The Hawaiian Limu Attached Algae Solution

Native Hawaiian freshwater limu species found in Maui streams hold the key to solving wastewater problems.

Reef Power developed a Maui Sustainable Reuse Pilot (MSRP) proposal to demonstrate cost-effective ecologically engineered recycling of nutrient pollution from R-1 water into agriculture by growing native Hawaiian freshwater stream macroalgae “limu” in a human-made streambed system called an algal turf scrubber.

Reef Power LLC has received approval from the County of Maui for our Initial Application to receive R-1 reuse wastewater and demonstrate our test agroforest growing native and canoe plants, and is awaiting HI DOH approval of a permit application for activities associated with a demonstration pilot to grow native Hawaiian stream macroalgae limu in a test turf scrubber, to polish nutrient pollution from R-1 reuse water before discharge into a test native Hawaiian tree and groundcover plant species greenbelt forest.

We collaborated with Sandia National Laboratories to develop an operational attached algae tertiary treatment approach for a regional wastewater reclamation system in development.

Researchers are now developing a municipal-scale nutrient polishing solution that can help the County of Maui meet stringent limits for total nitrogen in the new Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility NPDES permit