Posted at 9:45 a.m., Wednesday, August 29, 2001

Conservation urged for another day

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Board of Water Supply workers repair a break in a 36-inch water main on Moanalua Road in Waimalu. Several lanes of traffic were closed or diverted after the incident yesterday. Meanwhile, officials are asking metropolitan Honolulu residents to conserve water. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Board of Water Supply crews this morning repaired the broken water main in Waimalu, but residents from Red Hill to Hawaii Kai are being asked to conserve water until this afternoon so the system can refill.

"We hope to have the all-clear by about 3 this afternoon," said Board of Water Supply spokeswoman Denise DeCosta. "We're still appealing to customers to use water carefully and for essential needs only."

The break in the 36-inch transmission line on Moanalua Road between Ka'ahumanu and Ka'ahele streets was detected Monday night. Since then repair crews have worked to fix the line, which supplies an estimated 15 percent of metropolitan Honolulu's water.

The pipe moves 12 million gallons of water daily from the Punanani wells to distribution lines and reservoirs serving the city.

The crews had the repairs done at 3 a.m. today, and water gradually was being brought up to normal pressure so it wouldn't damage other pipes, DeCosta said. It will take at least 12 hours to refill and charge the water distribution system, said Board of Water Supply manager and chief engineer Clifford Jamile.

"Basically the work went smoothly," DeCosta said. "The workers had to avoid damaging an electrical line as they excavated, and that made the whole job very tricky."

Police closed one Wai'anae-bound lane this morning to allow repairs to the roadway. Officials said they expect the job to be to finished by noon.

The cause of the break is under investigation.