Grove Farm Co. Inc., Lihue, Hawaii, which enhances its land and water resources for the 40,000 acres (16188 hectares) it owns, won a Fairfield, Conn.-based GE ecomagination Leadership Award for its solution that provides a sustainable water resource for as many as 15,000 residents and visitors on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. By combining GE's membrane ultrafiltration technology with a century-old reservoir and irrigation system, Grove Farm is collecting, storing and treating rainwater to alleviate rising water scarcity. The slopes of Mount Waialeale receive as much as 460 inches (11684 mm) of annual rainfall. Using a network of irrigation ditches, Grove Farm directs a significant portion of the rainfall into its 75-acre (30.4-hectare) Kapaia Reservoir.
“We recognized the challenges facing Kaua'i and have implemented a sustainable solution to alleviate our island’s dependence on traditional water sources,” says Warren H. Haruki, president and chief executive officer of Grove Farm. “With the assistance of innovative companies and the pioneering partnership with our local department of water, we are extremely proud of our water-purification plant and we will continue to explore new ways to benefit Kaua'i. Our broader goal is to implement sustainable technologies for renewable energy and food production.” Grove Farm completed construction and opened the water-purification plant in September 2005. Treated water from the plant is sent to the County of Kaua'i Department of Water, which has contracted a 15-year, public-private partnership with Grove Farm to purchase and distribute 2 million gallons (7.6 million L) of water per day to the surrounding homes and businesses. For more information, visit www.grovefarm.com.