Kamehameha Highway remains closed near Kahana Bay due to water main break

Windward Oʻahu residents are being asked to conserve water due to a 30-inch main break over the weekend in the Kahana Bay area.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply closed both directions of Kamehameha Highway near Kahana Bay Beach Park to repair the water main and the road. Motorists should avoid the area.

The water main break is expected to impact the water supply from Kahana to Waimānalo. Kathleen Pahinui with the Board of Water Supply says the system lost roughly 60% of the water supply.

"We are anticipating we may have problems with our reservoirs, especially in the Kailua area where we think the reservoirs are not refilling that quickly," she told HPR.

"Even though we’re doing everything we can to pump water up, it takes a while to do that, to pump from one reservoir to another. So we’re concerned that the reservoirs may run dry, which means that the upper areas in Kailua could be impacted," Pahinui said.

Pahinui urged Windward Oʻahu residents to limit their use to drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. The BWS asked residents not to use water for any lawn or garden irrigation, car washing, or other outdoor use.

Pahinui says crews will be working around the clock. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the road should be repaired enough for contraflow traffic by Friday. Water service should be fully returned by Sunday.

TheBus will operate two shuttles at the road closure site in Kahana to connect passengers to regular Route 60 services currently turning around near Keneke’s at Punaluʻu to Haleʻiwa, and the Kaʻaʻawa Fire Station to Kāneʻohe and Honolulu.