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There are exceptions
to watering rule

Question: On Tuesday, June 28, I was walking at Ala Moana Beach Park from 11:45 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. The sprinklers on both ends of the park were on -- by the canoes on the Waikiki end and on the Ward Avenue end of the park. They could have been on for a lot longer. A maintenance worker said he didn't know why they were on. We have a water shortage, and we're always asked not to water from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Can you look into this?

Answer: It's unfortunate, but watering sometimes does occur at midday at the park because most of the sprinklers have to be turned on and off manually, a city Department of Parks and Recreation official said.

On the day you cite, one factor was that workers had a hard time rousting a sleeping homeless person from the canoe area, said Craig Mayeda, administrator of the Maintenance and Recreation Division.

There is no set time frame when workers have to water, although they are told to do so once a day, 30 to 45 minutes at the most, and, as much as possible, not at midday.

But, "Someone has to physically go out and turn on the water," he said. The alternative, which is not feasible, is to bring staff in at night.

Mayeda said park workers have to do "multiple things" in addition to keeping track of the watering, including cleaning restrooms and "weed whack(ing)."

"They are not supposed to be standing around waiting to turn (the sprinklers) off," he said. "Unfortunately, sometimes something's happening and they can't get back to turn it off. That will happen from time to time. But staff have been reminded to be more vigilant."

Watering is not done on weekends/holidays, which sometimes means watering just four days in a week.

Meanwhile, unless there is a water crisis or shortage, the Board of Water Supply's request that watering not be done at midday is advisory and compliance is voluntary.

The Board of Water Supply does get "a lot of complaints" about government agencies not following watering guidelines, said spokeswoman Su Shin.

When people call to report water waste, whether it involves an individual, business or government entity, "We make an attempt to contact whoever has jurisdiction over that area," Shin said.

Sometimes, there is an explanation as to why perceived excessive or inappropriate watering may have been done, Shin said.

For example, the Board of Water Supply received complaints about the state Department of Transportation's watering alongside the freeway. The Transportation Department explained it was doing frequent irrigation at odd hours because it had just planted new grass and needed to make sure the roots took hold.

"There are times when you can't stick with the 'don't-water-midday' guidelines that we like to encourage," Shin said.

In general, if you see water being wasted, such as a broken water pipe, malfunctioning sprinkler or running faucet, call the Board of Water Supply Water Waste Hotline at 748-5041.

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