Water main work scheduled today and Wednesday in South Hilo

Water main repairs are underway today and Wednesday for portions of South Hilo.

Water was temporarily shut off today at 8:30 a.m. and will be back on by 12:30 p.m. Customers along Kaiwiki Road from Kōpa‘a Road to the mauka end of Kaiwiki Road are impacted.

Water main repairs are again scheduled on Wednesday and service will be shut off from 9 a.m. to noon. Customers impacted include those who live along Āinaola Drive, mauka of Waikato Road; Hoaka Road, mauka of Māla‘ai Road; Māla‘ai Road; Alawaena Street; Ainakahele Street, including all side roads and lanes.

The Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply issued a press release about these shutdowns Tuesday morning. Officials informed customers that they may notice turbid and/or discolored water after water service resumes, as the lines will have been recently flushed and cleaned.

Customers may also notice trapped air in plumbing, which will be released after initial water use.

Customers in the impacted areas are advised to take precautions for their property or facilities by disabling electrical power to pumps and/or any other devices whose normal operation may be dependent on water pressure and/or water supply, and which might be damaged if automatically energized during the water shutoff.

Drinking water should be set aside to meet essential water needs until normal service resumes.

For questions about the shutoff, call Daniel Taka, Jr., District Supervisor for the Department of Water Supply at 808-961-8790.