CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Storm drain trooper
goes with the flowDennis Silva does the dirty work
in order to clean up the environmentMy real title is storm drain maintenance crew leader and I have spent the last 18 years keeping Honolulu's storm drains clear and flowing.
Over the years, our crews have found just about everything you can imagine in the storm drains. We have found frisbees, skateboards, dead animals, keys, wallets and even guns. Other things like tree branches, grass trimmings and leaves also get into the storm drains. This is partly because people don't know that, as homeowners, it is their responsibility to keep their sidewalks and drains clear of waste.
Also, most people don't realize what happens when they throw their trash -- like empty plate lunch boxes -- on the street instead of in the trash can. It ends up going down the drains that empty right out in the water where people surf and fish. People should realize they are hurting our ocean by letting rubbish go down the storm drains.
My crew operates from Salt Lake to Kalama Valley but on the whole island, the city maintains 32,000 storm drain structures and 750 miles of storm drain pipes. Our toughest days are after a heavy rainfall because this is when so much waste gets washed down the storm drains. On an average day, we can clean up to 25 storm drains per truck. Sometimes it can take us a whole day or longer to clear just one storm drain, depending on how bad it is. The trucks we operate are called vactor trucks and can cost up to $320,000 each.
I enjoy what I do because I take pride in my work and want to make a difference for our environment.
It would help if everybody did their part.
Hawaii At Work features tells what people do for a living in their own words. Send submissions to: business@starbulletin.com
