by the end of 1898, a new mill was constructed, and the first crop harvested in 1899, producing 1,741 tons of sugar. castle & cooke also expanded the acreage, built a railway system, and maximized ground and surface water storage and irrigation systems. between 1900 and 1906, four surface water collection systems were constructed, giving the waialua sugar plantation the largest water storage capacity in the state of hawaii. as a result of these efforts, sugar production increased from less than 5000 to 20,000 tons from 1900-1905. mechanical loading of harvested cane began to replace manual labor using self-propelled machines in 1920. later, the waialua plantation would co-generate electricity and sell it to local communities, contributing a small percentage to hawaii's energy production.