Department of Environmental Services

What Department of Environmental Services does

The Department of Environmental Services (ENV) is a municipal department of the City and County of Honolulu, responsible for environmental services across the island of Oʻahu. The department operates core waste management infrastructure, including curbside refuse collection, multiple convenience centers, transfer stations, and landfill facilities, alongside green waste recycling services. ENV also owns and operates the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant — the island's primary wastewater treatment facility — as well as the sewer collection system, and provides storm recovery and emergency response services including debris removal and sewer spill mitigation.

As a government entity, ENV is funded through city government budgets derived from taxpayer dollars, service fees, and government allocations, and operates as the monopoly provider of municipal environmental services on Oʻahu. Services are delivered directly to Oʻahu residents through physical infrastructure (curbside collection routes, drop-off centers) and digital tools including the opala.org scheduling portal, hnlalert.gov emergency notifications, and the oneoahu.org storm recovery portal. The department is led by Director Roger Babcock, Jr., Ph.D., P.E., and Deputy Director Daniel Brieck, P.E., with administrative offices in Kapolei.

In August 2026, ENV completed Phase 1 of the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Secondary Treatment facility and mounted a significant operational response to Tropical Storm Lala — including expanded curbside green waste pickup, waived residential drop-off load limits, and sewer spill response. The department coordinated with Hawaiian Earth Recycling (Wahiawa) for additional green waste processing capacity and with Hawaiʻi Foodbank on community recovery efforts supported by $200,000 in city funding.

Name

Department of Environmental Services

Legal name

Department of Environmental Services

Website

https://honolulu.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Department of Environmental Services is a municipal department of the City and County of Honolulu that provides wastewater treatment, refuse collection, green waste recycling, and storm recovery services to Oʻahu residents through city-owned infrastructure including the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste Management

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced/Nutrient Removal (BNR/ENR: N, P) (EUANADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Municipal waste management
• Wastewater treatment services
• Solid waste collection
• Green waste recycling
• Sewer system management

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Tax Funding: Funded through city government budgets and tax revenues. Services are provided to residents as essential municipal functions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Department of Environmental Services (ENV) operates municipal environmental services for the City and County of Honolulu, delivering wastewater treatment through the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant and solid waste management via curbside refuse collection, convenience centers, transfer stations, landfill operations, and green waste recycling programs for Oahu residents.

Product overview

The Department of Environmental Services (ENV) provides core municipal environmental services for the City and County of Honolulu, encompassing waste management infrastructure (refuse collection, convenience centers, transfer stations, and landfill operations), green waste recycling, and wastewater treatment through the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. These services operate as integrated environmental management offerings supporting O'ahu residents, with recent upgrades including completed secondary treatment at the Sand Island facility (August 2026) and expanded green waste collection services during storm recovery periods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refuse Collection and Convenience Centers Municipal solid waste collection services including curbside refuse pickup, convenience centers, transfer stations, and landfill operations for O'ahu residents.
• Green Waste Recycling Green waste collection and recycling services including curbside pickup, two-load limit waivers during storm recovery, and drop-off at Hawaiian Earth Recycling facility in Wahiawa.
• Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Primary and secondary wastewater treatment facility providing ocean protection for O'ahu, with the secondary treatment phase completed in August 2026.
• Sewer System Management Sewage collection, treatment, and spill response services. ENV crews respond to sewer spills caused by backup power failures and other incidents.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered operational and support.

• Hawaiian Earth RecyclingoperationalOthers · 1 August 2026Hawaiian Earth Recycling in Wahiawa accepts green waste during storm recovery operations following Tropical Storm Lala. ENV coordinates with this partner for green waste processing capacity during emergency situations.
• Hawai'i FoodbanksupportOthersThe City and County of Honolulu provided $200,000 to the Hawai'i Foodbank to support Tropical Storm Lala recovery efforts. ENV likely coordinates with foodbank for emergency response logistics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN): The City of Los Angeles bureau responsible for wastewater treatment, solid waste collection, and disposal for a major U.S. metropolitan area. Operates the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and multiple landfills, mirroring ENV's integrated wastewater/solid waste mandate on Oahu.
• NYC Department of Environmental Protection: Manages New York City's water supply, wastewater treatment (including 14 wastewater treatment plants), and stormwater systems. Comparable to ENV in operating large-scale municipal wastewater infrastructure for an island-like, high-density jurisdiction.
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission: Operates water, wastewater, and municipal power infrastructure for the City and County of San Francisco. Like ENV, it is a municipal entity delivering essential environmental services under regulatory monopoly conditions with comparable regulatory and capital planning pressures.
• Seattle Public Utilities: Provides drinking water, wastewater, solid waste, and recycling services to Seattle residents. The integrated wastewater/solid waste municipal model closely parallels ENV's combined mandate on Oahu.
• Philadelphia Water Department: Operates wastewater treatment plants and water systems for the City of Philadelphia. Functions as a direct municipal peer to ENV in delivering wastewater treatment and collection services under a regulatory framework.
• Boston Water and Sewer Commission: Independent municipal authority providing water and sewer services to Boston. Comparable to ENV in scale and in operating wastewater infrastructure as a dedicated utility serving a single jurisdiction.
• Chicago Department of Water Management: Operates water and wastewater services for the City of Chicago. Functions as a direct municipal peer to ENV in delivering large-scale wastewater treatment and collection under a municipal government structure.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management Inc. The largest private-sector solid waste hauler and landfill operator in North America. Serves as a broad incumbent comparable to ENV's solid waste collection, transfer station, and landfill operations, though it operates commercially rather than as a municipal monopoly.
• Republic Services: Major private-sector provider of solid waste collection, recycling, and disposal services across the U.S. Comparable to ENV's refuse collection, recycling, and landfill functions at scale, although operating in multiple jurisdictions rather than as a single municipal department.

Regional players

• Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department: Provides water and wastewater services to Miami-Dade County in Florida. Comparable to ENV as a coastal municipal utility facing similar climate, sea-level, and storm exposure — though serving a mainland county rather than an island.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hnl_env
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1B4iwd6o1MNvp46J48tzDw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/HNL.ENV1
• Instagraminstagram.com/hnl.env/?__d=1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Department of Environmental Services