State Land Department Begins Sewer Improvements at Waimea State Pier

By Deborah Ward

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) began construction of sewer improvements at Waimea State Recreation Pier on Kaua‘i yesterday.
As part of the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s ongoing capital improvement program to upgrade existing state park and small boat harbor facilities, DLNR’s Division of State Parks is closing the large capacity cesspool which services the comfort station at the pier. Construction will also begin to install a sewage lift station and force main to connect with the County of Kaua‘i sewer system.
Project contractor TOMCO Corporation will excavate the open field area on the pier property and do excavation and trenching of La‘au Road for the sewer line connection.
“Waimea State Recreation Pier will remain open to the public, and the comfort station will remain open until the time of the sewer hook-up,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson. “We appreciate the public’s understanding as we move forward on this very important improvement project.”
The connection to the County system is expected to take an hour or two, but DLNR will have portable toilets on hand in case the connection takes a full day. This is scheduled to occur somewhere in the first half of July.
Construction activity will occur in the open field area adjacent to the comfort station, and temporary protection barriers will be used for the public’s safety. There will be some inconvenience to users of La‘au Road, however appropriate traffic control measures will be implemented.
Project completion is expected by mid-October 2008. Project cost is approximately $290,000.
Waimea State Recreational Pier is located on La‘au Road off Pokole or Moana roads from Kaumuali‘i Highway (Hwy. 50) in Waimea town, west Kaua‘i. It is open daily during daylight hours. It features ocean pier fishing and picnicking, pole fishing and crabbing. Restrooms, picnic areas, trash cans and drinking water are provided.
Waimea became an important port with Captain Cook’s visit in 1778. The original wharf was built in 1865 to compete with Koloa landing as a port of call for whaling ships.
Historically significant, the old Waimea landing first sported a pier with winches for shifting cargo from railcars to lighters out to the awaiting cargo ships anchored off-shore. Products exported from west Kaua‘i at the time were raw sugar, cattle, goats, oranges, taro, sweet potatoes, yams and rice.