The City and County of Honolulu has announced that they will begin a major sewer repair project for the Waikiki area starting in March 2012. The project is expected to take 500 days and will cost approximately $5.7 million as the city repairs manholes and fixes or replaces sewer lines. While some people are concerned about the construction noise, road closures and traffic disruptions, many residents in Waikiki understand that the repairs are necessary. Chairman of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board, Robert Finley, stated, "We still remember what happened in 2006 when the breaks in the line on Kaiolu Street caused millions of gallons of raw sewage to be dumped in the Ala Wai. I think people know how important the sewer repairs are; we don't want sewage in the canal or backing up into our homes and hotel rooms."
The city has been granted a noise variance, which will allow them to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Officials have promised that louder repairs will be planned for daytime hours. Mark Smith, a Waikiki Neighborhood Board Member, expressed concern with this. Smith stated, "I find it beyond belief that the state would grant a variance to exceed the noise ordinance without a limit. No one is going to be able to sleep. What happens if a resident calls and says it's really noisy? You can't call anyone because they've been given carte blanche to exceed noise levels."
Waikiki is home to approximately 20,000 residents and 75,000 tourists at any given time.
