Question: Can you find out what happens when someone calls the Board of Water Supply’s water waste hotline? I’ve reported the same problem multiple times and it’s still not fixed, yet they keep telling us to conserve water.
Answer: Kokua Line has received multiple complaints from readers who said they’ve heeded the Honolulu Board of Water Supply’s call to report wasteful water usage by phone (808-748-5041) or email (contactus@hbws.org), but see reported problems persist. They said they’ve complained about broken sprinklers running continuously at commercial buildings or on government property; sprinklers misdirected toward streets or sidewalks; boat-wash facilities using hoses that lack nozzles to limit waste; and other problems. The BWS says it follows up on all waste reports that provide actionable information, numerous times if necessary.
“We generally respond within 12 hours or less during regular business hours. Depending on the amount of information left for us by the caller, we will call the person or company and inform them of the complaint. We will then follow up with a written letter. We do our best to stay in touch with the person calling with the complaint to keep them informed and often ask them to let us know if the problem persists. It can take longer to fix if parts are needed and there are times that even when fixed it gets broken again by other persons. We understand their frustration but ask that they continue to follow up with us so we can continue to monitor the issue and work to get it fixed as soon as possible,” Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui, BWS spokeswoman, said by email Thursday.
Reports to the BWS should include the problem’s location (an exact address or nearest possible address), a brief description of the water waste and any additional helpful details.
Also, BWS staff on Thursday updated the phone list of state and county agencies that people may call to report water waste on properties under those jurisdictions. See the list at 808ne.ws/BWS.
Vandalism or accidental breakage by people not associated with the property also may be factors when problems persist, requiring repeated repairs and replacement parts. “However, please rest assured that we stay on it until it is resolved even if it takes a while. We run into some unique situations at times,” she said.
Q: Is the renewal fee for the volcano plate going up?
A: No. You are referring to the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park license plate, which is one of three specialty organization license plates issued by the state of Hawaii that raise money for the organizations the plates represent; the other two are Haleakala National Park and the Polynesian Voyaging Society. The annual renewal fee for an organization license plate is $25, of which $20 goes to the organization, according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services. The fee is not rising July 1.
By contrast, the annual fee for a special personalized license plate, also known as a vanity plate, is more than doubling, rising from $25 to $60 effective July 1, as Kokua Line reported in April.
Mahalo
Mahalo to a good Samaritan! While shopping at Costco in Hawaii Kai on May 5, a thoughtless individual hit my vehicle and fled the scene. A good Samaritan witnessed the incident and left a note on my windshield with the license plate number as well as the make, model and color of the vehicle. The individual who hit my car eventually admitted to the violation, which means I will not have to incur substantial costs to repair my vehicle. Again, many thanks for taking the time to leave me the information that allowed me to pursue the claim. — R.N.
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.
