Special spring break treat for Waikiki visitors...

HONOLULU (March 29) - Millions of gallons of raw sewage have gushed into a canal since a major sewer line ruptured, forcing officials to monitor bacteria levels around Hawaii's most popular beaches.

As of late Tuesday, well over 10 million gallons of untreated wastewater had been diverted into the Ala Wai Canal, said Eric Takamura, director of the city Department of Environmental Services. The canal flows into the Pacific Ocean between Waikiki and Ala Moana beaches, which remained open.

The 42-inch sewer main, installed in 1964, cracked open early Friday after heavy rain flooded the aging sewer system. City crews have been working 24 hours a day to repair the break but have been hampered by underground utilities.

"For the most part, we've been pretty lucky and the current has been taking the sewage straight out to sea," said state Health Department spokesman Kurt Tsue. "But that could change."

Environmentalists worry about damage to the fragile coral reef and other marine life in the area.

"What's happening today is a result of a long-term history of poor design or mismanagement," said Melody Heidel of the Sierra Club, which filed a lawsuit in 2004 alleging deficiencies in the city's wastewater system.

The main was scheduled to be replaced next year at a cost of $30 million.

On 2006-04-01 10:46, hodadhank wrote:
HONOLULU (March 29) - over 10 million gallons of untreated wastewater had been diverted into the Ala Wai Canal, "For the most part, we've been pretty lucky and the current has been taking the sewage straight out to sea," said state Health Department spokesman Kurt Tsue.

"But that could change."

old news.
it did change. current and weather brought the crap to shore and Waikiki to Kaka'ako now fully polluted. More new news. numerous sewage spills around the island make alternate beach visits a dismal prospect. Go to santa monica beach if ya want the pacific ocean. Waikiki can't handle more people.

but please feel free to enjoy it from afar:
http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/cameras/waikiki_beach/waikiki.htm

[ Edited by: lanikai 2006-04-01 14:59 ]

On 2006-04-01 13:00, lanikai wrote:
... Go to santa monica beach if ya want the pacific ocean. Waikiki can't handle more people.

Call me crazy, but you've given me a brainstorm Lanikai...

All native Hawaiians should stop using toilets and just "GO" in the streets or sidewalks in popular tourist areas or in front of fancy Haole condos. Pretty soon the delicate Haoles would split taking their golf courses and housecats with them, finally leaving the islands to Da People. Bummer if you're non-native but that's just the way it's gotta be since "Waikiki can't handle more people", if of course, by "people" you mean non-native Hawaiians.

Or dig this... we could just rotate Haole's to keep the Haole to Islander ratio equanimous. If for example you, Lanikai or I Hodadhank are a non-native and have been enjoying a squat in paradise for more than two and a half years, its time to split back to Oklahoma or where ever and let another Haole have his or her quarter decade of the Aloha Lifestyle.

These are just theories of course. Lets call the first the Massive Shitstorm Theory and the second the Swapa-haole Theory.

[ Edited by: hodadhank 2006-04-02 14:37 ]

On 2006-04-02 14:34, hodadhank wrote:

Call me crazy, but you've given me a brainstorm Lanikai...

ok, yer crazy.

All native Hawaiians should stop using toilets and just "GO" in the streets or sidewalks in popular tourist areas or in front of fancy Haole condos.

who knows what da revolution will bring...
(keep an eye out; the revolution will be podcast...)

Bummer if you're non-native but that's just the way it's gotta be since "Waikiki can't handle more people", if of course, by "people" you mean non-native Hawaiians.

of course, by 'people' I mean the heavy majority; tourons.
Waikiki now resembles an overbuilt resort, almost indistinguishable from Maimi or most anywhere else. What spelled Waikiki is sadly destroyed all for the sake of the perrenial shortsighted chase of the almighty dollar and the need to fill each and every square inch by raising 40 story condotels and upscale high end luxury lodging. Blocking out the aina, and all views, so you don't know where you are anymore.
sad.

[ Edited by: lanikai 2006-04-02 17:16 ]

What's even sadder is the plague is spreading to the other islands.

I'm kind of torn.
I'm not going to stop going to Hawai'i if at all possible.

But I don't go for the resort-life.
Hmmmm.

I live in much the same kind of "build no matter what" state and I just don't understand where they think they're going to get water and services.

But they don't care. They make as much as possible and move to... Hawai'i I guess.

Are there any groups doing anything about the overbuilding? Groups that have any muscle?

*On 2006-04-02 17:15, lanikai wrote:*who knows what da revolution will bring...(keep an eye out; the revolution will be podcast...)

Podcast huh?

So you're saying that the revolution will not be televised?

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.

There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.

Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a message
bbout a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.

At least I think that's what you're saying.

On 2006-04-02 18:46, pablus wrote:

What's even sadder is the plague is spreading to the other islands.

true dat. Maui is already a kind of Waikiki; Locals don't wanna touch it anymore. It's fulla el lay types. swarmed over and decimated like a locust infected crop, indistinguishable anymore from what it was for so long.

[ Edited by: lanikai 2006-04-03 10:09 ]

Very disturbing news! When do they think it will be cleaned up?

On 2006-04-03 09:42, Jeff Central wrote:
Very disturbing news! When do they think it will be cleaned up?

No telling at this time. And if the state submitted an estimate to the media, wouldn't trust it. The state is Hawaii's worst enemy.

To quote King Kukulele: "I don't like poop." Let's hope they get it cleaned up!!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Wasn't it custom for Polynesians of yore to back up to the edge of the waterline and "make doo doo" in the lapping waves? I think I've read (Theroux?) that this is still custom in some of the less Westernized South Pacific islands and that it is common to spot the ubiquitous "brown trout" riding the waves at many an otherwise beautiful beach.

The more things change...