20-inch blowout in Waimanalo leads to road, school closures

WAIMANALO (HawaiiNewsNow) – Water Board crews are working to repair a 20-inch major transmission failure in Waimanalo Friday morning that caused multiple station closures.

It’s unclear exactly how many customers are affected, but BWS said the outage will affect the Waimanalo community from Mekia Street to Sea Life Park.

The state Department of Education announced Waimanalo Elementary and Middle School will be closed to students and staff on Friday due to recess.

DOE officials said the school is expected to remain without running water while repairs are made and families are being contacted directly.

Water users are urged to use water only for essential needs such as cooking, cleaning, and sanitation only to allow the water supply to recover.

The break was reported around 4 a.m. on Mekia Street near Shima Supermarket on Kalanianaole Highway.

Here’s a first warning for drivers before they head out the door:

• Mekia Street between Kalanianaole Highway and Lukanela Street remains closed as crews repair the breach. Drivers can use Poalima Street as an alternative route.
• A portion of the Kalanianaole Highway toward Hawaii Kai was affected; however, traffic is diverted to provide one lane in each direction.

Motorists are advised to drive with caution near the work area and expect delays.

According to BWS, a broken transmission line means a large water pipe breaks. This means there has been a rupture in a main pipeline that pumps large volumes of water over a large area, which could lead to widespread service disruptions.

BWS said mobile water vans are available to affected customers. To request a water van, call 808-748-5000, extension 1.

The completion date of the repairs is still unknown.

This story will be updated.

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