NEWS RELEASES
For Immediate Release
August 17, 2026
OʻAHU RESIDENTS REMINDED TO LIMIT HOUSEHOLD WATER USE TO ESSENTIAL NEEDS ONLY
HONOLULU – The Board of Water Supply (BWS) is experiencing low to no water pressure in the upper areas of the Metropolitan Honolulu water system due to the prolonged power issues that O’ahu is experiencing. This includes the ridges from Alewa Heights running east to and including Kalama Valley. If you live on the upper mountain ridges of the Ko’olau Mountains in metro Honolulu, you may experience low to no water pressure which will affect your water service. The BWS is working with HECO and other city agencies to address this issue. If you are in an area not in metro Honolulu and are experiencing low to no water pressure, please call us at (808) 748-5041 to report. We do not have an estimate at this time when full water service will be restored as it is dependent on power service being restored as well.
The BWS is working to set up alternate water supply sources. This list will be provided after 4 pm today to allow the BWS crew to get the locations ready for use by the residents.
Residents that have water service should continue to limit water use until BWS lifts the request for water conservation.
Storm damage and power outages, even intermittent, can impact water service across the island. These impacts can hinder BWS’s ability to pump water from wells and other water sources throughout the water system. BWS has generators positioned around the island to help prevent water outages as much as possible. If water cannot be pumped to a reservoir tank, the water remaining in the tank will be all that is available until electrical power is restored or made available through other means. Water conservation is needed during significant storm events and electrical outages until storm warnings have officially been canceled, electric power is restored and water levels in reservoir tanks have returned to normal.
Please check our website at boardofwatersupply.com for updated information. Residents should stay tuned to news reports and sign up to receive email, text message or push notification alerts from BWS and other emergency response agencies through the City and County of Honolulu’s HNLAlert service. Sign up at hnlalert.gov.
About the Board of Water Supply
The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oʻahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system. As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oʻahu. 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
Public Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5319