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For Immediate Release
October 28, 2021

Board of Water Supply Receives Grant through HI-EMA for Emergency Resiliency

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) recently facilitated the award of $787,500 in federal grant funding for the Board of Water Supply (BWS) to protect Oahu’s water. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds to purchase two mobile generators for more than $1 million to provide redundant power at key pumping facilities serving over 40,000 Oahu residents. The two (2) generators will be added to the BWS’s current fleet of mobile and fixed generators to ensure BWS pumping capacity can be maintained for nearly 80% of the island in the event of extended power loss.  

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS), the largest water utility in the state of Hawaii, actively seeks ways to improve the department’s operations and address our infrastructure needs.  The BWS has implemented various programs to address infrastructure concerns for public safety and resilience during an emergency; including the hardening of our facilities and installation of back-up power at key pumping facilities.

Ernest Lau, Manager and Chief Engineer of the BWS stated, “We take seriously our responsibility to provide safe, dependable, and affordable drinking water to Oahu residents every day, but also during and after a major disaster.  Our location, about 2,500 miles away from the continental United States, means we must be prepared to take care of ourselves and each other.  Water is critical to life; we thank HI-EMA for supporting our ability to sustain pumping operations, as this will ensure our island residents have access to this critical resource.”

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