Long-awaited repairs to one of the ground-level reflecting pools at the state Capitol are coming to a close after decades of leaking it caused in the chamber level — just in time for the next legislative session.

According to Department of Accounting and General Services public works administrator Chris Kinimaka, waterproofing work on the Diamond Head-side pool is now at least 65% complete.

“Leaking has reduced significantly, and buckets and tarps are being removed in areas that are now achieving more watertight conditions,” Kinimaka said in a statement.

Waterproofing work on the Diamond Head-side pool began in mid-May. The work is set to be completed on schedule by the end of this month.

The work follows a few weather delays — on Nov. 29 the chamber level experienced severe leaking from the reflective pool due to heavy rain conditions. According to DAGS Director Keith Regan, the rain came the day after the initial prep work, which had to be done before the waterproofing process could begin, was finished.

“Unfortunately, all of that (prep) work was completed the day before we had that significant rain event,” Regan said. “We just tried to do as much as we could to mitigate any of the impacts that were happening.”

Kinimaka said that during and immediately following the flooding, the department’s main concern was the health and safety of Capitol employees and visitors.

“Testing by an environmental hygienist of the air quality in the affected areas came back negative for mold,” Kinimaka said in a statement. “DAGS has been working with the contractor of this project to contain leaks, and to clean and dry the affected areas.”

The department has also begun restoration efforts, such as cleaning and repairs, in offices affected by the leaks. Air quality at the site was tested for a second time, and the department is currently “awaiting the report to guide necessary remediation actions.”

Remediation work will be the department’s focus throughout the legislative session, set to begin Jan. 17, in order to minimize noise distraction. Work on the Ewa pool will begin after the session ends in May.

The project comes after DAGS, from 2005 to 2008 and in recent years, unsuccessfully sought funding from the Legislature to address maintenance on the reflecting pools. Earlier this year lawmakers appropriated $33.5 million for the repairs, following a $9.8 million appropriation in 2021.

The pools cost approximately $120,000 each year to maintain with water. The pools have also been estimated to consume 12,500 gallons of water each per day, totaling about 750,000 gallons of water monthly.

DAGS is still considering the possibility of introducing a waterless alternative to the reflective pools that maintains the appearance of the initial architecture while avoiding future problems caused by the use of actual water.

An envisioned waterless alternative could be something similar to the work done at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum in 2010, when a swimming pool in the downtown YMCA building was partially filled and transformed into a sunken seating area with a pool-like appearance.

“With this particular space, are there other ways to activate and utilize that space for events or functions, much like how the rotunda is utilized?” Regan said. “There may be an opportunity to do something like that there, too.”

The implementation of a waterless alternative, though, requires the approval of the State Historic Preservation Division under the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. No decision has been made at this time.

“The current proposal is apparently cost-effect(ive), and is the only one we’ve discussed with DAGS that doesn’t alter the character of the building, doesn’t in any way damage it, and will be easily reversed without doing any harm to the building, if the decision is made at some point in the future,” SHPD Administrator Alan Downer said in a statement.

In July, DAGS asked the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to appoint members to a newly formed design committee dedicated to “making recommendations on the development and design of an artistic pool,” according to SFCA Executive Director Karen Ewald. The committee, known as the State Capitol Pools Art Advisory Committee, will work within the parameters set by SHPD to “assist in the selection of the work of art and a local artist,” Ewald said.

The committee was advised that the completion of a waterless alternative project is expected by fall 2026, and aims to consult with SHPD on design recommendations this coming spring.

The Capitol building, built in 1961, is on the Hawaii and National Registers of Historic Places. The building represents a volcanic island, dotted with palm trees, rising out of the ocean, represented by the pools.

“We appreciate (the Legislature’s) patience and understanding. We’re almost done with that side, and we won’t have to worry about leaking into these office spaces for quite some time, and hopefully never again, because that really is the purpose of this project,” Regan said. “Hopefully, we won’t have to deal with these kinds of big problems in the future. That’s our goal.”