Water Board
is monitoring
Kaimuki work

Question: When is the work being done by Preferred Constructors for the Board of Water Supply in Kaimuki going to be completed? The work has been going on for more than a year. The contractor has not repaired a lot of the roads they have worked on, creates dust in the area and blocks sidewalks at night with their vehicles. We have complained numerous times to the Board of Water Supply, but they have not seemed to resolve the situation. Can you help?

Answer: Board of Water Supply officials apologized for the problems and said they had been working with the contractor to minimize "difficulties" and to "properly and adequately" address the concerns of residents.

The work involves installing 10,075 feet of 12- and 8-inch waterlines along Wilhelmina Rise; 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th avenues; Keanu, Claudine and Anuhea streets; and Pelu and Pukalani places. It is meant to improve both water service and fire protection for the neighborhood.

The target date for completion is Oct. 8.

Asked if your complaint fairly summed up the situation, Board of Water Supply Manager/Chief Engineer Clifford Jamile said the contractor "agrees" with the assessment.

"The contractor is required to maintain the roadway and minimize dust problems to mitigate any damage that may be caused by construction," he said.

Since work is continuing, the roads are being temporarily patched. Once the project is completed, the road is required to be repaved "according to the terms of the contract."

The contractor's insurance company is working with individual residents regarding claims for damage caused by construction, Jamile said.

Meanwhile, Preferred Constructors is not allowed to leave any vehicles or equipment on sidewalks, under its construction permit. It has been reminded not to do so, and agency inspectors have been making regular checks, according to another Board of Water Supply official.

Asked to respond to your charge that numerous complaints have not been addressed, Jamile said the agency has notified Preferred Constructors every time it received a complaint.

The contractor was asked to respond to each complaint "in a timely manner" and to follow up with each complainant directly.

"The BWS requires the contractor to work in a professional manner and to be sensitive and responsive to the community's concerns," Jamile said.

Although it is the responsibility of the contractor to resolve the community's concerns, he said the Board of Water Supply "is ultimately responsible for our construction projects."

To that end, "we have improved our procedures to better monitor our contractors' work," he said, and hopes this will prevent similar problems in the future.

Q: Is the Star-Bulletin going to put in a blurb about all the candidates for the primary and general elections, and if so, which paper?

A: Our primary election tabloid will be inserted in tomorrow's Star-Bulletin. There also will be a special general election guide, which will be published in October.

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