O‘ahu Storm Water Master Plan asking for community input

The City and County of Honolulu will hold a series of 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.

The plan, being developed through the Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM), Storm Water Quality (SWQ) Division, is intended to provide a framework for management of O‘ahu’s system of streams, ditches, pipes, beach mouths, and other storm water management 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.

The upcoming virtual meetings will provide community members with the opportunity to shape the values and focus of the Storm Water Master Plan. The meetings will be in late May through early June and will focus on community and island-wide issues, priorities, and values.

“O‘ahu’s storm water program is one of the City’s most important, but least recognized, infrastructure systems. Community engagement can help direct the future of this essential public service,” said Roger Babcock, Jr., Ph.D., P.E., Director and Chief Engineer of the DFM.

Meetings will focus on different regions of the Island on the following dates:

• Central O‘ahu – Monday, May 24 at 7 p.m.
• East Honolulu – Wednesday, May 26 at 7 p.m.
• Primary Urban Center – Thursday, May 27 at 12 p.m.
• Ko‘olau Poko – Tuesday, June 1 at 7 p.m.
• North Shore – Wednesday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
• ‘Ewa – Thursday, June 3 at 7 p.m.
• Primary Urban Center – Monday, June 7 at 7 p.m.
• Ko’olau Loa – Tuesday, June 8 at 7 p.m.
• Wai‘anae – Wednesday, June 9 at 7 p.m.

The public can register for the meetings at: bit.ly/StormWaterPlanning. On the days of the meetings, people can join the meetings through that same link. 

“The Storm Water Master Plan will guide City resource allocations to achieve long-term storm water management goals and objectives and will provide transparency in public investment,” said Randall R. Wakumoto, P.E., Program Administrator of DFM’s SWQ Division. The plan will encompass visioning for green storm water infrastructure, local drainage and flooding, asset renewal and replacement, regional flooding and floodplain management, and how the City can coordinate through partnerships within the community.

Following the community meetings, the City will prepare a draft that summarizes the overall strategy, vision, values, and framework for the plan. Community comment will be sought on the draft in September/October, with the goal of finalizing the strategic portion of the Storm Water Master Plan by the end of 2021.

For more information on the Storm Water Master Plan, and to sign up for email announcements on the process, please visit: bit.ly/StormWaterPlanning.