September 28, 2009

The city and county of Honolulu is quickly putting federal stimulus funds to good use, by beginning work on a major sewer system rehabilitation project in the Waimalu neighborhood.

“We’re very grateful to President Obama and the Congress for approving the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and we’re committed to using federal stimulus money wisely and effectively to repair and replace aging infrastructure,” said Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

The $45 million project will include the replacement of 5,820 linear feet of defective sewer lines—most of them more than 50 years old and damaged or threatened by soil settlement—and the addition of 630 feet of new lines. The project has received $7,438,075 from the stimulus program through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Health, and is expected to take 27 months to complete.

Honolulu is slated to receive a total of $94 million in federal stimulus funds. They are ready to expedite a wide range of infrastructure initiatives, such as upgrades to public transportation systems and energy conservation project. Hannemann has made prudent maintenance and repair of municipal infrastructure a hallmark of his administration.

“We’re fulfilling our promise to repair our sewer system and wastewater treatment plants with these major capital investments,” Hannemann said at a ceremony launching the Waimalu sewer project. “This is another example of the commitment we’re making to improve our infrastructure and protect our environment, while also generating jobs for the construction industry and helping to strengthen our economy.”

The Waimalu area is prone to flooding, which threatens public health and safety when aging, damaged sewer pipes leak during rainstorms, Hannemann explained.

Honolulu, which encompasses the island of Oahu, will also benefit from federal stimulus projects initiated by Hawaii and the federal government, worth millions of dollars more.