Honolulu, Hawai'i Residents Urged to Give Input on Storm Water Issues
The city and county of Honolulu opened two surveys to collect public input on Oahu storm water management, reported KHON2.
The surveys will help the city develop a Storm Water Master Plan. The public will be able to mark the locations of local storm water concerns including: flooding, stream maintenance, water quality, flood prevention and infrastructure needs.
“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, reported KHON2. “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.”
The survey is open until July 16 and can be accessed here. Residents can also request a paper survey by calling (808) 768-3220.
So far, Oahu has established the Fresh Water Initiative, which aims to provide additional freshwater supply by 2030 through conservation, recharge, and reuse. The Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency was also mandated by the city and county of Honolulu City Charter to track potential climate change impacts and to coordinate the actions and policies of city departments, plans, and programs.
Recently, a proposal to create a storm water utility is part of the city's effort to address storm water quality.
In addition to surveys, the city Honolulu residents urged to give input on storm water issueswill look towards other existing community visions to make a comprehensive storm water management plan for Honolulu.
The Development Plans/Sustainable Community Plans and Board of Water Supply Watershed Management Plans will serve as the starting point for the development of a Strategic Plan for storm water.