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New timed, low-flow shower and drinking fountain open at Kaimana Beach

O‘AHU -- A new timed, low-flow shower, improved walkway, and drinking fountain are now open for public use following completion of an improvement project at Kaimana Beach in Kapi‘olani Regional Park.

Located at one of O‘ahu's most popular beach locations, this construction project included installation of a new, low-flow beach shower on the grassy area of the park along with new walkways and a new drinking fountain. The upgraded shower includes three timed shower heads & one foot wash station (which run for approximately 45 seconds), a new concrete pad, pervious pavers around the shower, piping, fittings, and a sediment catch basin.

"It is always such a satisfying and rewarding experience opening up a new facility for public use, especially one that resulted from the hard work and team effort exhibited by our City agencies to improve the lives of our constituents," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. "Mahalo to the departments of Facility Maintenance's Storm Water Quality Division and Parks and Recreation for completing this project. This area has a lot of current and historical significance, including the nearby Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium, which we hope to renovate in the near future under our long-term Capital Improvement Project program."

As part of this project to install a new shower, the old shower located directly on the beach was removed. Along with conserving water, this new shower assists the City's in remaining compliant with national storm water run-off permitting requirements (referred to as National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems or NPDES) by having the water drain into an appropriate catch basin instead of the ocean. Upgrading the shower is also the right decision regarding care for our natural environment, as reducing run-off into the ocean minimizes our impact on aquatic resources. This improves the nearshore water quality for the public and the wildlife, such as endangered monk seals which frequent this beach.

Though this shower help to retain water better than the old shower, the City reminds park users all beach park showers are designed for rinsing off and not for bathing. Please do not use soaps and shampoos in these outdoor public showers. Also, the showers are intended to be low-flow and timed. Please do not attempt to modify or damage the shower to adjust the pressure or run time as those features cannot be modified.

Over the past year, an additional effort to upgrade City parks and make their facilities more water and energy efficient has progressed under an energy savings contract with NORESCO. This continues to include conversion of dozens of beach showers to reduce water waste. To date 29 beach showers have been converted from free-flowing to timed showers at seven City parks island-wide.

The City is already experiencing results of this improved water usage, along with better public awareness towards conservation of our previous water resources. In July, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation reported a more than 15.4% decrease in water usage year-over-year after pledging to exceed the Board of Water Supply's call for a 10% reduction in water use following impacts from the Red Hill fuel crisis.

We appreciate the patience of park users while this project area was off-limits for construction, and for their continued assistance in helping to reduce water usage. This approximately $478,800 project was originally scheduled to be finished in summer, but experienced delays in the delivery of project materials, pushing back the completion.

Kapiʻolani Regional Park is one of the largest and is the second oldest public park on Oʻahu. It is as popular today as when it was started as King Kalākaua's playground for polo fields. In 1877, King David Kalākaua dedicated this Royal Land as a public space, naming it after his beloved wife, Queen Kapi‘olani. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation has preserved and has maintained this large green open space with many outdoor recreational activities since 1913. For more historical information about this park please visit bit.ly/kapiolanipark

The mission of the Storm Water Quality Division is to empower, educate, and provide guidance on effective ways to minimize our impact on water quality in order to protect the safety and health of the public, communities, and natural environments throughout Oʻahu. For more information about the Storm Water Quality Division and upcoming volunteer opportunities, please visit www.cleanwaterhonolulu.com.

To request auxiliary aids or services, accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Please note that we may not be able to fulfill requests without sufficient advance notice.

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