The bypass pump system is a key part of the Beachwalk Wastewater Emergency Bypass system.

It was activated once before in November 2006 when a crack was discovered in the Beachwalk force main. After repairs, it was put back on standby and tested regularly. It will now be running around the clock until the new piping system is connected and becomes operational.

The bypass system was set up to prevent a repeat of the devastating March 2006 spill on Kai'olu Street. The system also allows the city to shut down the Beachwalk Pump Station in order to hook up the new set of pipes.

Contractors have finished building two sets of tunnels in one of the longest microtunneling operations ever conducted in the state. The tunnels started in the mauka pit, near the Ala Wai Community Gardens, moved 30 feet under the Ala Wai Canal and Kai'olu Street, before ending 1,100 feet away in the makai pit, at the corner of Kuhio Avenue and Kai'olu Street.

The two new wastewater lines represent a key portion of the second phase of the BWEB project.

Workers plan to activate the force main with the two new state-of-the-art lines by the end of June.

The city asks for the public's patience as work continues. The project has impacted area residents and two nearby schools, including Ala Wai School, which sits closest to the mauka pit and the construction staging area.

For weekly updates call 543-8374 or visit www.beachwalkbypass.com.