KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31

KAILUA WATER QUALITY PSPHCD SUBCOMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, July 9, 2026
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
In-person at the Kailua District Park Arts & Crafts Room or District Meeting Room with ZOOM option:
ZOOM LINK:
https://us02web.zoomhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/81177565012?pwd=TohxxpQkmkODQgvtOZc5MbFU765yqH.1
Meeting ID: 811 7756 5012
Passcode: 629260

Chair: Levani Lipton levani.knb@gmail.com Members: Kelli Ann Kobayashi, Kate Righter, Steve Trecker, and Gary Weller.

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Announcements/Stay Informed on Water Quality Impacts!
a. Windward O’ahu residents eligible for $150 Rain Barrel Reimbursement Program to improve water quality and conserve fresh water. Hui o Ko‘olaupoko (HOK), funded by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), is launching a new Rain Barrel Reimbursement Program to help Windward O’ahu residents capture and reuse rainwater at home. Through this program, HOK will reimburse 100 eligible households up to $150 each toward the purchase of a qualifying rain barrel system. Additionally, the program offers free installation assistance. To secure your spot and receive a rain barrel purchasing guide, email Volunteer@huihawaii.org . HOK staff are also available to conduct a free rainwater assessment for Windward Oahu Properties. The assessment utilizes the locally developed “Follow The Drop” app to calculate a property’s potential runoff from impervious surfaces and make recommendations on ideal green stormwater solutions and appropriate sizes. Hui o Ko’olaupoko has developed a detailed slideshow of recommended barrel systems, step-by-step installation examples, and a local purchasing guide to simplify the process for participants.
b. Sign up for water quality and ocean condition alerts on the City & County of Honolulu’s HNL Alert App. https://www.honolulu.gov/dem/hnl-alert/
c. Kailua Shoreline Water Quality Data – Honolulu City and County Department of Environmental Services Wastewater Treatment Plant operates a water quality data dashboard. Visit: https://www8.honolulu.gov/env/kailua-water-quality-data/
d. Sign up for brown water advisories with Hawaii State Department of Health: https://eha-cloud.doh.hawaii.gov/cwb/#!/landing. Brown water frequently occurs after storm events. For your safety, it is recommended not to enter the waterways, ocean, or streams if they are brown or after a storm. If you have an open wound or cut, avoid the water until you are healed.
e. Monitor water quality results along Kailua Beach with Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force. Visit: https://oahu.surfrider.org/bwtf. Look for trends. If a particular spot consistently tests high for bacteria or poor water quality – it is best to avoid it until the water has cleared.

4. Resident and Community Concerns

5. Old Business:
a. Storm drain maintenance
b. Culvert and channel cleaning maintenance schedule
c. Stormwater Utility (now SWOOSH)
d. Mangrove removal
e. Kapa’a Quarry impacts on water quality
f. Kaelepulu Pond TMDL status
g. Siphon Project – Kawainui Stream

6. New Business
a. Presentation: Long term removal of mangroves as a strategy to improve water quality, by Kristen Kane, Hui o Ko’olaupoko
b. Feedback and public comments on MCBH Stormwater Draft Plan

7. Ongoing Discussion:
a. Sustainability of our natural resources: What steps can we take now to keep Kailua Bay and waterways thriving in the future?
b. Who are our allies in this effort?
c. What community outreach and events are happening to promote awareness?
d. What steps can the public take to minimize pollution and maintain small footprints?

8. Adjournment

A mailing list is maintained for interested persons and agencies to receive this board’s agenda and minutes. Additions, corrections, and deletions to the mailing list may be directed to the Neighborhood Commission Office (NCO) at Kapālama Hale, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96817, by telephone on (808) 768-3710, fax (808) 768-3711, or e-mailing nco@honolulu.gov. Agenda documents and minutes are also available online at https://www.honolulu.gov/nco/boards.

All written testimony must be received in the Neighborhood Commission Office 48 hours prior to the meeting. If within 48 hours of the meeting, written and/or oral testimony may be submitted directly to the Board at the meeting. If submitting written testimony, please note the Board and agenda item(s) your testimony concerns. Send to: Neighborhood Commission Office, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160, Honolulu, HI 96817, fax (808) 768-3711, or complete the form on https://www.honolulu.gov/nco/board-testimony.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability or an interpreter for a language other than English, please call the Neighborhood Commission Office at (808) 768-3710 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or send an email to nco@honolulu.gov as soon as possible, preferably at least three (3) business days before the scheduled meeting. If a request is received with fewer than three (3) business days remaining before the meeting, we will try to obtain the auxiliary aid/service or accommodation, but it may not be possible to fulfill requests received after this date.

Kailua Neighborhood Board No. 31

Kailua Water Quality PHPSCD Subcommittee
June 2026 Meeting Report
Chair, Levani Lipton

1. A subcommittee meeting was held in-person and online on June 10, 2026, chaired by Levani Lipton and attended by KNB member Bill Hicks, residents Sherine Boomla, Bob Bourke, Ava Dufort, Eileen Hilton, Linda Jenks, Charles Laidley, Leonard Lepine, and Cindy Turner, and presenters Dr. Olivia Nigro, Anuj Pawar, and Greg Wong,

2. Two presentations were given. The following is a summary of key points made during the presentations.
a. Vibrio vulnificus dynamics in the Ka’elepulu watershed, by HPU student researcher Anuj Pawar
(1) V. vulnificus is a human pathogen that can cause severe foodborne & wound infections that may lead to death.
(2) Higher abundance of V. vulnificus was found in the Hamakua Canal, the canal intersection right off of Wanaao Road bridge, and most notably at Ka’elepulu Canal near Kailua Beach berm.
(3) We observed significant exchange of freshwater and seawater in the watershed when the berm was opened, coinciding with 24 hour tidal patterns.
(4) We did not see a significant difference in population between the wet and dry seasons of our sampling period (June 2024 to May 2025).
(5) We did see a higher abundance of V. vulnificus when the berm was opened in preparation for the January 2025 Kona storm.
(6) Preliminary looks at nutrient data suggests that the Kona storm introduced nutrients into the watershed, potentially supporting V. vulnificus abundance during this time.
b. WaiHome – Affordable Cesspool Upgrades for Hawaii Homeowners, by Greg Wong
(1) Hawaii has a cesspool problem that is unlikely to be solved by 2050 due to high costs, laborious excavation, and challenging landscapes.
(2) WaiHome has developed an above ground septic alternative that is designed and manufactured in Hawaii, for Hawaii challenges (small lot sizes, proximity to water table, soils unconducive to treatment, and expensive excavation)
(3) The product has been tested by UH Manoa and proven more effective than septic systems, it is nationally certified by IAPMO and ISO, and is currently ready for installation.
(4) Call 808-970-7245 for a free site assessment of your property.