Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9

Mayor's annoucement

Aug 01, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2006

Release M-89-06



CITY FINISHES PHASE ONE OF EMERGENCY WASTEWATER BYPASS PROJECT

Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced today that a contingency pumping system is in place and ready for emergency use in the Waikiki area.

The announcement comes just two and a half months after an emergency design and construction team began building the bypass line to prevent future diversions from the existing wastewater force main.

Mayor Hannemann said he's pleased the bypass line is ready and available for use, and satisfied that contractors are working to keep the project on a fast-track schedule.

"Our residents and visitors can breathe a little easier tonight knowing that if that aging sewer line in Waikiki breaks again, we won't face the scenario we had in March, when we had no choice but to divert wastewater into the Ala Wai Canal," Mayor Hannemann said.

In announcing the project on May 18, the Hannemann administration imposed two key deadlines on the Beachwalk Wastewater Emergency Bypass team building the project.

Phase One involved the construction of a 5,000-foot long bypass line from Ala Wai Canal to Ala Moana Park. That line floated down the canal and was submerged on July 17. It is now hooked up to temporary pumps along both sides of the canal that are intended to intercept and divert wastewater flows from the existing pump station to the new bypass pipe. At the Ala Moana end, the wastewater will be sent via existing lines to the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"This is the safety net we need until Phase Two is finished," said Eldon Franklin, chief of the wastewater division of the City Department of Design and Construction.

Phase Two will include the construction of an underground pipe through a state-of-the-art micro tunneling machine from a pit on the mauka side of the Ala Wai Canal. That pit is now under construction. The machinery will tunnel under the canal and Kaiolu Street, hooking up with the Beachwalk wastewater pump station makai of Kuhio Avenue.

"We apologize for the noise and inconvenience this project has generated, and ask for the public's continued patience," Franklin said.

During some portions of Phase Two, the emergency bypass line now lying on the canal floor will be used because of concerns that the micro tunneling work could affect the aging line now in use.

After weeks of intense rainfall, the existing 42-year-old force main broke on March 24, 2006, resulting in the discharge of 48 million gallons of wastewater into the Ala Wai Canal.

The deadline to complete phase two is Dec. 31, 2006, prior to the 2007 rainy season.

"As I said when I first announced this project, the health and safety of our residents and visitors are most important, and our infrastructure needs our attention now," Mayor Hannemann said. "We are making excellent progress, and we are looking forward to having Phase Two up and running by the new year."

The project work includes a comprehensive community information process. Information will be available to the public through a website www.beachwalkbypass.com, and a project hotline 808-203-5777.

For a Map of the project please click here: http://www.beachwalkbypass.com /map.asp

Project team members are:

Lead Agency: City Department of Design and Construction

General Consultant R. M. Towill Corporation

Subconsultants: Yogi Kwong Engineers, Kai Hawaii Inc.

General Contractor Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company

Subcontractors: Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc., Frank Coluccio Construction Company

Construction Manager M&E Pacific, Inc.





Contact:



Bill Brennan, Mayor's Press Secretary, 527-6928



Jim McCoy, Hoakea Communications, 543-8374/c 282-3440