As we work to maintain the purity of our waters, we appreciate the values that ancient Hawaiians had for watershed stewardship. Their concept of property was not based solely on land, but the entire watershed, from the mountain to the sea, which served as a vital food source. Since the community depended on the health of the watershed, the word water, "wai", when repeated became the word for wealth, "wai wai."
Storm water and wastewater may seem to be parts of the same system, but they are not. In fact, Oahu’s storm drains carry rainwater along a different set of pipes to streams and the ocean, with little or no treatment. They are completely separate from the sewer lines.
We all need to understand that what we dump into the storm drain goes into the ocean. You likely have seen the stenciled or chiseled reminders near catch basins, “Dump No Waste, Protect Our Waters ... For Life,” or in Hawaiian, “Mai Kiloi ‘Opala, E Mālama I Ka Wai Ola.”
Developing a sense of stewardship is another, more lasting goal. We seek to increase watershed stewardship, but we need your involvement.
