Question: On Tuesday, neighbors reported a yellow tinge in their cold water. The Board of Water Supply’s explanation was that a fire hydrant was damaged at the corner of Dole and McCully streets. We live on Makiki Street. What is the interaction between a damaged fire hydrant and the potable water system? Does this happen every time a fire hydrant is damaged? Is the water quality still acceptable when this happens?
Answer: Here are the responses to your questions from Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui, spokesperson for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply:
Q: What is the interaction between a damaged fire hydrant and the potable water system?
A: “Here is how a damaged hydrant in McCully can cause discolored water in Makiki: The fire hydrant is located on the same water system that serves residents in Makiki. Most water systems contain iron residue from the metal pipes used to distribute water. Iron residue in the pipe is normally held in place unless a disturbance within the water system dislodges it. When the fire hydrant broke, it caused a disturbance within the water system. The residue then mixed in with the water (resulting in the yellow tinge) and was distributed to customers along that same water system.”
Q: Does this happen every time a fire hydrant is damaged?
A: “Not that we are aware of. The BWS is informed of these types of incidents only when notified by our customers.”
Q: Is the water quality still acceptable when this appears?
A: In general, “iron does not negatively affect a person’s health. However, it is better to flush the property lines to clear out discolored water from your taps. The BWS advises customers who notice any discoloration in their water to flush out their property pipes, as this usually addresses this concern. To flush out property pipes, run a faucet or hose bibb for a few minutes to get rid of the discolored water. If the problem persists, customers can call the BWS 24-hour Water Emergency Hotline at 808-748-5000, ext. 1, for further instruction or assistance. In this case, the BWS staff did not receive any follow-up calls from customers with whom they had spoken about the discolored water.”
Q: Let’s say that one member of a married couple crosses the rainbow bridge and the surviving spouse, in their grief, fails to notify election officials. And let’s say that the surviving spouse decides to fill out and return a fraudulent ballot. What systems are in place to prevent this from occurring?
A: Election offices are notified of Hawaii deaths monthly; voter’s signatures are verified by computer or, if necessary, manually; and voter fraud is a felony offense. Here’s the response from Nedielyn Bueno, spokesperson for the state Office of Elections:
“The County Elections Divisions receive notices of death records from the Department of Health for their respective county. Additionally, families may also contact the County Elections Division to submit a cancellation of voter registration for their deceased family member. (See 808ne.ws/CED Opens in a new tab.)
“We do want to note that election officials follow the Federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to conduct list maintenance of the voter rolls. Should a resident receive any election mailing, including a mail ballot packet, for a resident who no longer lives there or is deceased, we ask that they mark the item “Not at this address” and return it through USPS. The mailing will be returned to the County Elections Division and the voter record will be flagged. The County Elections Division will send another notification by forwardable mail, which allows the voter to update their registration. If a voter does not update their registration after two general elections, they will be removed from the rolls.
“On receipt of the voted ballot, the County Elections Division matches the signature on the envelope to the signature on record. If it doesn’t match, the voter is notified to correct it before their ballot can be counted.
“We would also note that voter fraud is a class C felony and any instance should be reported to law enforcement.”
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
