Kokua Line
June Watanabe
Fixes to leaky pipes
follow a long and
winding roadQuestion: I called the Board of Water Supply about the beginning of February to complain about a leak that had been in front of 211 Auwaiolimu St. for at least two months. I was told they were working with the city sewer department as it was possibly a sewer leak. If it is a sewer leak, an unsanitary condition exists, and is made worse by the cars passing over the water and spreading the bacteria. Furthermore, a large pothole has developed in the middle of the street, and very little effort has been made to fill it up, or to keep it filled up (with aggregate or blacktop, not water). If this is indeed a sewer leak, why hasn't it been fixed since it appeared before Christmas?
Answer: It turned out there were two leaks -- a water one fronting 211 Auwaiolimu and an unrelated sewer leak nearby -- both of which were finally repaired the first week in March.
It took us a while to try to sort out conflicting and confusing information, but the bottom line, according to city sewer officials, is that there was no threat to public safety because the main leak involved water.
And, according to BWS spokeswoman Denise DeCosta, the first record of a possible leak fronting 211 Auwaiolimu was made on Jan. 23.
It then took a while to repair the leak because "extensive investigation" was required, she said. Apparently the initial investigation and sample seemed to indicate the leak was from a sewer line, she said. However, the city Department of Environmental Services says it informed BWS in January that the leak was from a water pipe.
After Environmental Services repaired its leak, which had nothing to do with the one fronting 211 Auwaiolimu, "we found the leak at our site had not stopped," DeCosta said. "Apparently, water from our sample must have mixed with water flowing down from the leaking sewer pipe, giving us the impression that the leak was not from BWS's pipe. Finding that the water was still leaking, our crew went in, excavated the 6-inch main, confirmed that there was a leak on that main, too, and made repairs."
Here's the sequence of events provided by BWS:
On Jan. 28, "no sounds of leak (were) found," and a water sample was taken. Because it was thought to be sewer water, the matter was referred to Environmental Services.
On Jan. 28, Environmental Services reported there was no leak in their system. On Jan. 29, a 6-inch and a 16-inch main were rechecked, and no leaks were found.
On Feb. 4, the lines were checked again, using a tracer dye. A sample that proved to be "inconclusive" also was taken.
On Feb. 7, another check was done, including using meters, and no leaks were found.
On Feb. 11, the meters, services and main on Puowaina Street (above 211 Auwaiolimu St.) were checked, and no leaks were found.
On Feb. 17, Environmental Services began repairing the leak it found on its line at Whiting and Auwaiolimu streets.
On Feb. 24, the repairs were completed, but water was still running in front of 211 Auwaiolimu.
On Feb. 28, a BWS crew made an exploratory excavation between a 6-inch and 16-inch main. No leak was found. However, water was entering the excavation from the 6-inch-main side of the trench.
On March 3, excavation work continued to focus on the 6-inch main, and a "small split" was found on the 6-inch main, about 25 feet from the water running in front of 211 Auwaiolimu.
A check on March 5 showed the area was dry.
Here's the report from Environmental Services:
A crew checked the area fronting 211 Auwaiolimu on Jan. 28-29 and informed the BWS it was a water leak.
On Feb. 17, Environmental Services' employees began working "on an entirely separate and unrelated sewer repair job" at 278 Awaiolimu St. Officials described this as a preventive maintenance job involving a lateral pipe from the residence and part of the main sewer line.
They emphasized there was no sewage leaking from the main line, "which is gravity flow, not a force main."
Also, the crack in the main line was at the 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock position in the pipe, while sewage flows are at the bottom, 6 o'clock position, officials said.
Mahalo
To the vehicles who allow the city bus to merge back into the traffic from the bus stop. You are a perfect example of the aloha spirit that still exists in Hawaii. -- Michael Nomura
Auwe
Why are state and city roads in such disrepair? They don't even attempt to fill potholes. Kapiolani Boulevard is a mess, as are King and Beretania streets. Our roads are beginning to look like downtown Baghdad. -- No Name
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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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