Last week’s messy, ugly and surely expensive Dole Street water-main break that upheaved traffic and school schedules may have an upside for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.

The water board is launching a series of public hearings on its proposed rate increases, starting at 6:30 April 26 at the Mission Memorial Auditorium. Perhaps the memory of that burst pipe near Kanewai Park will have faded by then; perhaps not.

But if BWS officials argue that Oahu’s aging pipes need a cash infusion, this made their case for them. And by month’s end, there may be another break — or two — to remind them. Well, let’s hope not.

Congressional delegates talk missile alerts

Seated side-by-side at the East-West Center last week, Hawaii’s full congressional delegation appeared unanimous in intent to task the U.S. military with responsibility for alerting the public about future ballistic missile attacks, taking that role away from the state after colossal blunders tied to the Jan. 13 false ballistic missile alert.

In response to the proposal, a U.S. Pacific Command official said such a move is “not technically supported, but I could imagine it could be.” That’s not a confidence-builder, exactly. The state Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is far from mistake-free status, but so is the military.