Better news on the water supply front

For water ratepayers seeing a 70 percent increase in fees over these next several years, it was good to hear that the number of Oahu water main breaks this year is trending well below recent years. To be exact: 263 water main breaks as of Oct. 31; there were 300 last year. Also darn good when compared with the decade average of 368 breaks, and a 10-year high of 500 in 2002.

Lower water use and improvements to the water system were cited as factors for the fewer breaks, so it does seem that we’re starting to get our money’s worth. Good news indeed.

Getting to the art of the rail system

Uncle Sam has a boon for all those artists who have fallen on hard times in this difficult financial era — and wouldn’t that be all of them?

The opportunity is the Honolulu rail project, which may seem ironic to the many who see the elevated transit line, running 20 miles in length, as anything but artistic. But it’s true: $5 million for art is available to soften the edges of the 21 rail stops dotting the largely coastal route.

One of the elements being sought in the artworks would be how well they reflect the communities where they’re located. The search for artists will be nationwide but surely local knowledge, whether from an applicant who lives here or from a Hawaii "expatriate," will help.