GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Keoki Spain of American Marine put his ear to the pipe in hopes of hearing something promising as equipment failure and technical problems further delayed, but did not prevent, the pumping of sand onto Kuhio Beach in Waikiki yesterday.

Sand’s up! Waikiki restoration begins at last

After several delays, a $500,000 project to replenish beach sand in Waikiki finally began yesterday afternoon with an underwater pipe spilling its first loads of sand onto Kuhio Beach.

Work started about 5 p.m., about two hours later than scheduled, because an 8-inch pipe being used to suck deep-water sand had to be unclogged. Then, as an equipment malfunction threatened to postpone the project by another day, the sand finally started flowing.

"At last, we are bringing back Waikiki sand," said Peter Young, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The state has closed a 100-by-30-foot section of beach across Kalakaua Avenue from St. Augustine Church to do the job. Unless the work has to be stopped, that portion of beach is expected to remain off limits to the public for 20 to 30 days.

The plan calls for pumping 10,000 cubic yards -- the equivalent of 1,000 dump trucks -- of wet sand into a pit, where it will dry before being spread out from the Kapahulu Groin and the Duke Kahanamoku statue. Dump trucks will distribute the sand between 6 and 10 p.m. Sand is being pulled through a pipe attached to a hydraulic barge floating 2,000 feet offshore.

The project, which will mark the first major sand replenishment in Waikiki in more than 30 years, had been postponed at least four times.

It was first put on hold in fall 2004 to let the state test the water current and monitor the reef. Later, modifications to the project and delays in getting state and federal permits pushed the project to last April. But a 48 million-gallon sewage spill into the Ala Wai Canal raised health concerns, postponing the pumping to last month.

Finally, after the sand was tested for bacteria, rough seas from a south swell and southerly winds pushed the start to this week.

Earlier yesterday, crews had been able to pump a small amount of sand when a pocket of sand clogged the pipe. Divers were sent to push out the sand when equipment malfunctioned near the barge.

Two hours later, crews with American Marine Corp., a local dredging company hired by the state, were able to fix the problem. They were expected to stop pumping sand yesterday evening and continue the work this morning, Young said.

Once the replenishing is complete, it is unclear how long it will take for the new sand to erode back to sea, Young said, noting that it will depend on weather and surf conditions.

Between 1939 and 2000, almost 250,000 cubic yards of sand were applied to Kuhio Beach, with the last major addition done in 1975. In 1939 the north section of the Kuhio Beach breakwater was built to slow the loss of sand.

Without the rock walls, sand would likely need to be replenished more frequently.

"The only reason there's any sand in this basin is because of these walls," said Samuel Lemmo, administrator of the DLNR's Office of Conservation & Coastal Lands.

This will be the first time that sand will be pumped from an offshore source. Previously, sand was brought to Waikiki from other beaches on Oahu or from the neighbor islands, a process that was more expensive, Young said.