Honolulu, Waikiki Ala Wai Canal Now Open Sewer
Continuing repairs to a major sewer line through Waikiki means millions
of
gallons of raw sewage are being pumped into the Honolulu Ala Wai Canal
Millions of gallons of untreated sewage have
poured into the Ala Wai Canal since Friday, and the city expects to pump in
millions more over the next four to seven days — the time it will take crews to
repair a major sewer-main rupture.
While the sewage poses an environmental and
health concern, pumping it into the canal is the only way to prevent the waste
from backing up into Waikiki homes, hotels and businesses, city officials said
yesterday.
"We really have no other alternative,"
The Mayor said. "This is the most challenging main break that
the city has faced in a number of years. We don't have an easy fix."
The breaks in the line on Kai'olu Street appear
to have been caused by a combination of the very heavy flow of rainwater into
the sewage system and the settling problems of an aging sewer line, said Eric
Takamura, director of the city Department of Environmental Services.
Complications included rain that kept filling
the area around the cracked 42-inch concrete pipe and the need to work around
underground utilities, Hannemann said.
The pressurized sewer line was built in 1964 to
carry raw sewage from the Beachwalk Wastewater Pumping Station toward the Sand
Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. The line carries most of the sewage
generated in Waikiki, Manoa and Mo'ili'ili — about 15 million gallons each day,
city officials said.
Hannemann said city officials remain in constant
communication with the state Health Department, helping monitor water quality
and currents. He said no signs were posted to warn people out of the waters off
Waikiki beaches because the current was taking the flow out of the canal in the
opposite direction.
Surfers are warned to avoid Ala Moana Bowls,
Rock Pile and In Betweens because the current clips those surf spots near the
mouth of the canal before skirting Magic Island and making its way toward the
airport.
Chris Ball, president of the Hawaii Canoe &
Kayak Team, said all of his crews are staying out of the Ala Wai until they get
the word that it's safe to go back in.
"We have practice every day, but we've
suspended practice until the signs are down and it's OK to paddle in
there," Ball said.
Ball said he believes most teams are steering
clear of the water until officials give the go-ahead.
"There were a few canoes in the Ala Wai on
Saturday," he said, adding that he didn't see any yesterday morning.
"We've got a lot of little kids," Ball
said. "Sometimes they flip and fall out of the kayaks, and we don't want
them in that water."
Takamura, the city's environmental services
director, said it's difficult to measure exactly how many millions of gallons continue
to flow into the Ala Wai because the sewage is not pumped through a station
where it would be measured.
Instead, Takamura said, the untreated effluent
is being pumped from the pipes into the Ala Wai in at least six places.
Honolulu Cave Adventure: Punynari Explores Moiliili (Honolulu, Hawaii) Karst
Fantastic Must See Oahu Karst Cave Videos And Photos
Bio Diversity: The Moiliili Karst Formation
Mōʻiliʻili Karst Water Cave
Hiking Hawaii: Moiliili (Honolulu, Hawaii) Karst Cave
Video and Links: Mo'ili'ili Underground Caverns Video
Karst Cave Hiking Adventure: Moili'ili Karst Exploration
