Honolulu storm water concerns: Be heard
Two surveys are open until mid-July to collect public input on O‘ahu storm water management as the City & County of Honolulu (City) develops a Storm Water Master Plan. Residents can mark the locations of local storm water concerns like flooding and stream maintenance using a simple mapping tool and weigh in on priorities such as water quality, flood prevention, and infrastructure needs.
In May and early June this year, the City held virtual meetings to solicit community feedback on crafting a comprehensive Storm Water Master Plan that aims to guide management, programs and investments over the next 50+ years. More than 115 residents participated.
For those who were unable to participate in the meetings, two online surveys will be open until July 16. The surveys can be accessed via the website: https://bit.ly/stormwaterplanning. A paper copy of the survey can be requested by calling (808) 768-3220. Survey respondents can also receive a coupon reward, while supplies last.
“More community feedback will provide important details and we urge all interested to participate and let us know any areas you have experienced problems due to storm water issues,” said Randall Wakumoto, program administrator under the Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM) Storm Water Quality Division (SWQ). “This is the final chance for people to provide input before we start drafting the City’s Storm Water Strategic Plan.”
The plan, being developed through the Department of Facility Maintenance, Storm Water Quality Division, is intended to provide a framework for management of O‘ahu’s system of streams, ditches, pipes, beach mouths, and other storm water facilities. Residents who attended last year’s meetings introducing a storm water utility study consistently expressed interest in seeing an overall vision for storm water management. This community feedback was instrumental in leading the City to begin developing the plan.
Preliminary feedback from the community meetings showed that water quality was of highest priority. Other concerns included flood prevention and public safety, addressing
infrastructure needs, developing a strategy to manage watersheds, climate resilience, and accountability and transparency.
“We urge more local residents to participate in providing feedback for the Storm Water Master Planning process,” said Roger Babcock, Jr., P.E., Ph.D., director and chief engineer of DFM. “Storm water management is one of the most important problems facing our island today, and crafting a plan that incorporates the needs of all O‘ahu stakeholders is a great priority.”
For more information on the City’s long term storm water master planning, and to sign up for email updates, please visit: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/ab4fd3af6c87499b94de929e9b308e7c.
