The Ala Wai Canal is notorious for its pollution — which is why there’s a project that aims to protect its waters.
The Genki Ala Wai Project takes its name from the Japanese word “genki,” meaning healthy or vital. The idea was first proposed twenty years ago to improve the water quality of the canal using what they call “Genki Balls.”
Each Genki Ball contains microbes that act like a “probiotic” for the canals, helping break down the sludge that builds up in the artificial waterway.
To date, the project has drawn volunteers and students who have made and thrown more than 300,000 Genki Balls into the Ala Wai.
But do they make a difference fighting pollution? A recent study conducted by Hawaiʻi Pacific University earlier this year raised questions about how effective Genki Balls were at improving water quality.
To discuss the impact that their efforts have made so far, HPR spoke with Kouri Nago, a coordinator for the Genki Ala Wai Project.
He says the improvements can already be seen in the Ala Wai.
“There has been a lot of, you know, positive observations for sure. The first being the amount of sludge that was reduced,” he told HPR.
“That was really cool to see white sand at the very end of the Kapahulu side for the first time.”
The results of HPU’s two-year research project, however, cast doubt on the Genki Balls’ claim to clean up the canal.
Despite the research, Nago said that he and the Genki Ala Wai Project remain undaunted and committed to their practices.
“It was really, really humbling because at the end of the day, with the HPU study and all of that, from the beginning, we have never refuted or denied their data,” he said.
“And although our methods and our interpretations might differ on certain things, if at the end of the day, this is the sole thing that's bringing us here together … then I feel encouraged about the possibility of working together with HPU now.”
This story aired on The Conversation on Sept. 14, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
