Kahuhipa Street Storm Drain Improvement
Kea‘ahala Stream, Kane‘ohe

The purpose of the project, via the installation of a hydro-modification device, is to capture pollutants from urban storm run-off—ultimately leading to improved water quality in Kea‘ ahala Stream and Kane‘ ohe Bay. 

Kahuhipa Street is the light industrial/commercial corridor of Kane‘ohe with numerous storm drains that capture runoff from public streets, parking lots, industrial sites and various businesses in the area. 

The hydro-modification device will be placed within the existing concrete lined stream channel, under Kahuhipa Street, to capture runoff from the roads and other facilities and significantly reduce the discharge of pollutants into Kane‘ ohe Bay.

  The Hawai‘i Department of Health has classified the waters of Kane‘ohe Bay as Class AA---the most pristine and regulated classification, yet the streams and bays are increasingly impaired by urban runoff particularly in the Southern portion of the Bay, where development is greatest.

The University of Hawai ‘i, Department of Oceanography, is implementing pre and post project monitoring which include monitoring the amount of: sediment, oil/grease, turbidity, nitrates/nitrates, Total Nutrients and Phosphorus in the watershed. Pre-project data will be compared with post-project (installation) data to determine effectiveness of the device.  This will determine the amount of pollutants entering the stream and Kane‘ ohe Bay before installation and, subsequently, the amount of pollutants the device captures after implementation.