LIHUE, Hawaii — Kauai County officials have issued a request for proposals to expand the Waimea wastewater treatment plant.

County Engineer Donald Fujimoto said Tuesday that the project is expected to cost about $12 million.
He says $7 million is coming from federal stimulus money through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, with the balance financed through the county’s capital improvement program.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. says one of the main ways to stimulate the county’s economy is to get construction projects out to bid.
Built in the 1970s, the plant has a capacity of 300,000 gallons per day. It is currently operating at 90 percent capacity. Because it is near capacity, the county is restricting new sewer service connections in the area.