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For Immediate Release
August 13, 2018

Board of Water Supply Encourages Oahu Residents to Stay Informed Through HNL.Info

HONOLULU – Just over one year after launching HNL.Info, almost 30,000 Oahu residents are now using the City and County of Honolulu’s free service to stay informed about severe weather, traffic situations, events happening around the island and more.

As of July 2018, 17,665 smartphone users have downloaded HNL.Info for iOS, and another 7,010 have downloaded the app for Android. Meanwhile, 4,600 users have opted to register online to receive email or SMS notifications.

The Board of Water Supply (BWS) uses HNL.Info and social media as its preferred methods of informing the public about major water main breaks and other news affecting the municipal water system.

“When a main break occurs, or any situation affecting the safety or dependability of your water service, we want to get information to the community as quickly as possible,” said Ernest Lau, BWS Manager and Chief Engineer. “In the last year, we have found HNL.Info and social media are our go-to methods to get the word out and to provide regular updates.”

Prior to HNL.Info, most city agencies like BWS were using various third-party notification services to communicate critical messages. The Honolulu Department of Information Technology developed HNL.Info in-house as a cost-cutting and streamlining measure, which has provided Oahu residents with a centralized digital resource for city news and information. BWS discontinued its use of the Everbridge Nixle Engage platform as of May 31.

HNL.Info users are now able to subscribe to alerts for the following topics:

  • HNL Info
  • Beach / Ocean Info
  • EMS
  • Fire Emergency
  • General
  • Police Emergency
  • Road Closure / Traffic
  • Water Main Break
  • Water Quality
  • Weather & Disaster

Users can manage their subscriptions after logging into HNL.Info or by updating their subscription settings in the app on their mobile device. HNL.Info is a free download available in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store.

About the Board of Water Supply

The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system.  As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu.  The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future.  Uwē  ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.”  For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com.

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Contact:

Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui
Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5319