KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31

KAILUA WATER QUALITY PSPHCD SUBCOMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, August 14, 2025 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
In-person at the Kailua District Park District Meeting Room with ZOOM option:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88942158617?pwd=CVcltSreAtWntahu9MoQhnmt0CjEdI.1
Meeting ID: 889 4215 8617 Passcode: 405650
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:
a. Sign up for water quality alerts on the City & County of Honolulu’s new “HNL Alert” App. https://www.honolulu.gov/dem/hnl-alert/
b. 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/ .
c. Sign up for brown water advisories and alerts 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.
d. “FOLLOW THE DROP” is a stormwater mobile app that collects data on how much stormwater is being generated on a property and provides optimum types and sizes of stormwater capture solutions. Schedule a free rainwater assessment at https://rainwaterhawaii.com to learn how you can use the app to
minimize stormwater runoff from your property and reduce pollution entering our waterways.
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 the area 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. Bacterial effluent exceedance in Kailua Bay & protocols
d. Stormwater Utility (now SWOOSH)
e. BMP violations
f. Mangrove removal
g. Cesspool conversions in Kailua
h. Kapa’a Quarry impacts on water quality
i. Street sweeping schedule & parking restrictions for pollution reduction
j. Kaelepulu Pond TMDL status
k. Street sweeping
6. New Business
a. Proposals for Kaelepulu Stormwater Mitigation (5:30-6:30 p.m.)
b. Presentation: Stuart Coleman and Gabby Saba Zimmer from WAI (Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations) – Kailua Cesspools, Outreach, WAI Program (6:30-7:00 p.m.)
7. Ongoing Discussion:
a. What pukas have you noticed in the government response to addressing pollution in our waterways?
b. What are your ideas for solving these challenges?
c. Sustainability of our natural resources: What steps can we take now to keep Kailua Bay and waterways thriving in the future?
d. Who are our allies in this effort
e. What community outreach and events are happening to promote awareness?
f. Who are the agencies and nonprofits who malama the ocean and waterways?
g. What steps can the public take to minimize pollution and maintain small footprints?
8. Adjournment

Kailua Water Quality PHPSCD Subcommittee
July 2025 Meeting Report
Chair, Levani Lipton
1. The subcommittee hybrid meeting was held in-person and via Zoom on July 10, 2025, chaired by Levani Lipton and attended by committee members Kate Righter and Gary Weller, KNB member Bill Hicks, and multiple residents.
2. Discussion: The following topics came up during discussion: What is the legacy for the water quality committee? How do we ensure that the work carries forward into the future? How can we build a template for a work plan that can be utilized by community members? With so many aspects and issues to water quality, where do we focus our work?
3. Some of the following points were made:
a. Community members should focus on providing public comments during opportunities especially when plans and policies for water quality are being considered and especially at the state and county level.
b. This needs to be communicated to the larger community so we can inform fellow citizens and build community knowledge and engagement.
c. As community members we need to be able to review consultant reports prepared by consultants at the county and state level pertaining to water quality to assess how data is being used to make decisions.
d. We need to focus on a specific area of impact—not limiting ourselves to geographical regions but looking at our watersheds as a whole ecosystem and advocate for appropriate measures.
e. We need to structure meetings so that they are divided between working on these issues and calling upon experts when necessary to help our understanding.

To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website.

Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone.  If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.