Wa'ahila Park water fountains remain off
| • | Limited pig hunting now allowed at park |
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Nearly three years ago a bacteria contamination scare forced the capping of drinking fountains at Wa'ahila Ridge State Park, and now, despite spending $168,000 to replace the water system, the state has no timetable to reconnect the fountains.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Each weekend hundreds of people frequent the scenic area atop St. Louis Heights, but state officials say vandalism and concerns over handicapped accessibility have stopped the project from being completed.
Water fountains at Wa'ahila Ridge State Park remain capped despite extensive work to the water system following a bacteria contamination scare. It is unlikely the fountains will be back working any time soon, officials say.
Water from the repaired system is being used in restrooms and by groundskeepers, but the fountains remain a concern for hikers and picnickers.
"I think that is something they should try and fix," said Patrick Rorie, with the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club. "If I were camping or picnicking, it would be nice to have fresh water available."
Clyde Hosokawa, Parks Division resource manager, said officials did not order the drinking fountains back in because they were vandalized. "Somebody ripped off all the knobs," he said. "In reality, there is no way to make them work anymore."
The state park has a popular hiking trail to the Ko'olau Range overlooking the windward side of O'ahu. The park is set among a stand of ironwood trees and features picnic tables, barbecue grills and spectacular views of Manoa Valley. It's a heavily used area despite the reported contamination.
Dan Quinn, state Department of Land and Natural Resources Parks Division administrator, said no bacteria were ever found, but the state decided to replace the aging water system anyway.
"Someone said they got giardia and claimed they got it at Wa'ahila and there is no way to prove or disprove it," Quinn said. "So the action was to seal the drinking fountains and replace at least the tank part of the system."
Hosokawa said the old water system had tree roots in the pipes and the tank was open to the air.
"We had contamination, so we posted warning signs and capped the fountains," Hosokawa said.
Attempts to clean the lines with chlorine failed, so the state replaced the old wooden water tank with a steel tank and put in new water lines. The work was completed in December.
Board of Water Supply spokeswoman Denise DeCosta said the water supplied to residents in the area is of good quality and safe to drink.
Quinn said the old stone, pyramid-shaped drinking fountains in the park would be difficult to retrofit to meet requirements of the American With Disabilities Act.
"We are looking statewide at all the facilities," Quinn said. "It is unwise of us to expend much money on old facilities that cannot be accessed by everybody."
However, Hosokawa said if financing for the project can be found from either federal ADA money or state repair and maintenance money, new fountains could be in as soon as this summer.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
