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For Immediate Release
March 20, 2020

Honolulu Board of Water Supply's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

HONOLULU – As information regarding coronavirus continues to evolve, we want to inform the community that the Board of Water Supply (BWS) is taking every precaution to ensure that we provide safe, dependable and affordable water service for Oahu. 

First, your water is safe to drink. The water system is a closed pressurized system and it is nearly impossible to introduce foreign objects, bacteria or viruses into the system. The water is disinfected with chlorine at levels that are effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Testing is conducted daily to ensure disinfection levels are maintained and the water is safe to drink.

Second, we encourage customers who typically pay their bill at the BWS on Beretania, a satellite city hall or a Bank of Hawaii branch to consider using alternative payment methods such as payment by phone, one-time payment online, automatic bill pay, or by mail. Visit https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/paymentoptions for details. In addition, we want to be very clear that we will not be shutting off any water service. If you have an outstanding account with BWS, please contact our customer service team at (808) 748-5000, option 4 to set up a payment plan.

Third, to decrease the potential of community spread of the virus and to protect employees, we have already canceled or postponed BWS public events/activities and our participation in local events until further notice. This includes the temporary closure of the Halawa Xeriscape Garden, as well as the cancellation of facility tours, workshops and ceremonies. Answers to commonly asked questions, as well as educational material, are available on the BWS website, https://www.boardofwatersupply.com

Fourth, meetings of the Board of Directors will be held as scheduled, but we will offer alternative options for members of the public to meaningfully participate in real-time while social distancing: watch us live on FaceBook streaming, email in testimony or we will be setting up a call-in line. Please call 748-5319 to ask about these options.

Fifth, to further ensure employee and community protection: we are instituting travel restrictions, practicing social distancing in the workplace, we are staying abreast of all current information and relaying that information quickly to our employees, encouraging good hygiene in the workplace, encouraging sick employees to stay home, and cleaning our workspaces more frequently and thoroughly.

And finally, we are reviewing and updating our Continuity of Operations Plan dealing with the coronavirus.

Again, we wish to reiterate our commitment to the community and to public health. We encourage anyone seeking more information about the coronavirus and to sign up for email updates, visit the Hawaii Department of Health website, https://hawaiicovid19.com

As per our existing practice, any BWS-related news and information will be shared on our website, through social media and HNL.Info.

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, follow @BWSHonolulu or like the BWS’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BWSHonolulu.

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Contact:

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