Question: Regarding higher water rates, I did read the newsletter with my bill, and this will be hard for me. The newsletter mentioned rebates to help customers save money (and water) but said to go to a website for details. I don’t go on the internet. What are the rebates, and how can I and others who don’t go on the internet get more information?
Answer: The Honolulu Board of Water Supply website (boardofwater supply.com Opens in a new tab) describes the following rebates for residential customers, good through July 1 or while funding lasts. Terms and conditions apply.
>> $100 rebate on a weather-based irrigation controller, to prevent automated sprinkler systems from over-watering lawns or other landscapes
>> $75 rebate on water-efficient clothes washing machine
>> $40 rebate on residential rain barrel
>> $45 rebate on WaterSense toilet, which conserves water per flush
>> 50% rebate up to $200 on smart water monitor that attaches to your home’s waterline, providing data about water usage and potential leaks
You can call 808-237-6877 for more information, the website says, during regular business hours.
The BWS also has rebates for commercial properties.
Forms and instructions for claiming the rebates are posted on the website.
Q: What’s the number to call if I just want to change my name on my driver’s license?
A: You can’t handle that task over the phone, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services. You’ll need to make an appointment at a driver licensing center, where you’ll submit a completed driver’s license application and proof of the name change, as well as be fingerprinted, take a new photo and take the eye test (or submit documentation from your eye doctor), according to the department’s website.
Acceptable documents to validate the name change include a court order for a name change, such as an adoption or divorce decree; a U.S. government-issued marriage certificate or civil union certificate; a naturalization certification; or a certified decree of name change from Hawaii’s lieutenant governor’s office. You can find more information on the department’s website, honolulu.gov/csd Opens in a new tab.
Q: When getting a noncompliant state ID for a bedridden person, should I use the same form as for a regular state ID?
A: Yes. You can find links to the application form and full instructions for obtaining a noncompliant state ID for an incapacitated person on the website of Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services. Go to www8.honolulu.gov/csd/state-id Opens in a new tab and scroll down to the section titled “Special Accommodations for Incapacitated Residents.” The web address has been updated since Kokua Line last wrote about this process.
Q: Will they have the light parade in town this year?
A: Yes. Opening night for the Honolulu City Lights festival is scheduled for Dec. 2 and will include the Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade, according to the event website, honolulucitylights.org Opens in a new tab.
Q: There used to be a form online to report potholes, but I can’t find it.
A: The city deactivated that form in early 2022. To report a pothole on a city street, use the Honolulu 311 app (the city says that’s the quickest and most effective method) or call 808-768-7777. That telephone number is only for reporting potholes on city streets. The recorded greeting runs through a list of roads that are not maintained by the city, so listen carefully before reporting the pothole you want fixed.
Q: When did the Board of Water Supply last raise water rates?
A: Rate increases were most recently approved in 2018, “with increases taking effect on July 1, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022,” according to the BWS website.
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.
