Hawaii’s infrastructure gets D+ in yearly report from engineers society

Of Hawaii’s 132 state-regulated dams, many of which are nearly 100 years old, 123 are classified as “high-hazard potential” — meaning a failure could cause significant loss of life or property.

As of 2017 the average age of Department of Education schools was 62 years, with 53 buildings over 100 years old.

Across the state, the availability of drinking water sources is being threatened by the lack of recharge and contamination from urban pollutants and salt water intrusion. Honolulu alone has over $5 billion in infrastructure needs.

Some 3.2 feet of sea level rise is projected by 2100, which would put 5,700 structures surrounding coastal areas and 40 miles of coastal roads at risk of sea inundation, potentially displacing over 20,000 people.

These are some of the alarming findings of the inaugural report card on Hawaii’s infrastructure released Thursday by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Hawaii Section.

“The state’s roadways are among the most congested in the nation, and there is a $23 billion transportation infrastructure funding gap over the next 20 years,” the organization said in a release.

The report, and companion state-by-state reviews, paint a picture of a sorry state of repairs both in Hawaii and across the nation.

Hawaii’s infrastructure received an overall grade of D+ for 11 categories reviewed by the ASCE. Officials said that matches the nationwide average.

The summation of disrepair in Hawaii — often visible in one way or another for residents — comes as Congress wrangles with federal ways of coping with a national infrastructure backlog estimated at $2 trillion.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who was part of a roundtable discussion of ASCE’s report card results, noted that while Hawaii is on a par with much of the nation, “we are more concerned because of the impacts of global warming.”

“So we have to even be a half-step ahead of what the rest of the country does,” he said in a phone interview. “There’s a ton of work to do. But we can’t afford to be complacent, because if we don’t build out our infrastructure, we will not be able to deal with sea rise.”

Most of the Aloha State’s infrastructure systems are in poor to fair condition. The report card recommends the state Legislature increase the state gas tax and support “innovative funding mechanisms” to pay for a backlog of repairs. A bill seeks to increase the state gas tax to 22 cents from 16 cents on Oahu.

The report gives infrastructure grades in the following categories: aviation (C-), bridges (C+), coastal areas (C-), dams (D), drinking water (D+), energy (C-), roads (D+), schools (D+), solid waste (C), stormwater (D-) and wastewater (D+).

Stormwater received the lowest grade.

“The state has experienced an increase in extreme flooding caused by high tides, storm surges, hurricanes, tsunamis and sea level rise,” the report said. “This harmful flooding also causes pollutants, trash and debris to enter Hawaii’s water resources.”

According to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency assessment, 88 of 108 marine water bodies did not meet water quality standards.

The Hawaii results aren’t good, but are not as dire as they seem, said Amber Takenouchi, a civil engineer and co-chairwoman of the Hawaii Infrastructure Report Card Committee.

“So a C grade kind of means it’s average but it needs attention,” Takeno­uchi said. “A D grade means it’s in poor (condition) and likely at risk. So it’s not as bad as it all sounds, but attention and investment does need to be made before it gets to the point of infrastructure breakdown.”

Green said Hawaii “should invest now” in repairs “before the situation becomes more dire, and our hope is that we’ll be able to implement a federal resources plan.”

One possibility is to have states and the federal government sharing infrastructure investment 50-50, he said.

The tax-writing U.S. House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on the “nation’s crumbling infrastructure and the need for immediate action.”

The Chamber of Commerce, American Trucking Associations, ASCE and other groups recommended that the federal gas tax, which stands at 18.3 cents and hasn’t been raised since 1993, be upped by 20 to 25 cents over five years to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Panos Prevedouros, a transportation engineering professor at the University of Hawaii, said a new federal infrastructure plan “is very realistic,” but “I don’t know how much of this chunk will come down to us, because at 1.5 million (people), we’re really a very small state.”

He also takes issue with some of the grades given by the ASCE. “I believe some categories were doing even better than what is stated, and some others are probably worse,” he said.

Energy and solid-waste management are better than their C- and C grades, he said, “but then some areas such as roads and bridges — we would probably be below what is reported there.”

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply said in response to the ASCE report that it developed a 30-year water master plan, a 30-year infrastructure investment plan and a long-range financial plan to fund the efforts.

2019 HAWAII REPORT CARD

ASCE Hawaii released its assessment of the state’s key areas of infra­structure.

Aviation C-

Majority of airports in fair condition, with recent modernization of several terminals across the state. Hawaii’s airports vulnerable to environmental hazards such as rising sea levels, hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. Continued improvements required to increase capacity, enhance conditions and increase resiliency and sustainability efforts.

Bridges C+

Hawaii’s 1,135 bridges have an average age of 60 years — 6.9 percent of them structurally deficient. Due to the state’s isolated location, marine environment and various natural hazards, bridge construction costs are the highest in the nation. Therefore, current efforts by state and county agencies are focused on preserving the existing bridge inventory and maintaining safety rather than upgrading bridge capacity or resilience to meet future needs.

Coastal areas C-

Shoreline erosion has led to the following challenges: availability of sand reserves, enough funding and efficient permitting. Research projects an anticipated 3.2 feet of sea level rise by 2100, which will put approximately 5,700 structures surrounding coastal areas and 40 miles of coastal roads at risk of sea inundation. Legislation on development near coastal areas key to ensuring beaches will remain for future generations.

Dams D

Majority of dams built for the sugar cane industry, many are nearly 100 years old. They have deteriorated and present risks to downstream, now developed communities. Of the 132 state regulated dams, 123 (93 percent) classified as high-hazard potential in which dam failure could result in significant loss of life or property. Increased funding needed to support engineering investigations, repairs and maintenance to meet safety standards.

>> 98 percent of the state-regulated dams have an Emergency Action Plan.

>> 123 high-hazard dams.

Drinking water D+

Capacity sufficient, but significant funding needed to address aging infrastructure and source development. Availability of groundwater sources threatened by the lack of recharge and contamination from salt water intrusion and urban pollutants. Honolulu has identified over $5 billion in infrastructure needs, Kauai requires $174 million for current deficiencies and future needs, and Maui needs $310 million over the next 20 years for source development and transmission improvements.

>> $1.05 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

Energy C-

Hawaii has the highest electricity cost per kilowatt-hour in the nation, approximately 2.5 times the national average. To bring costs down and better protect the environment, Hawaii has mandated 100 percent of electricity generation with renewable sources by 2045. The state leads the nation in both residential solar power generated per household and is third in total solar photovoltaic capacity installed. Meanwhile over $1.5 billion has been spent by the Hawaiian Electric Cos. to upgrade and strengthen poles, lines and equipment to prepare for increasingly severe storms.

>> 27.2 trillion BTU of renewable energy every year, ranking it 46th.

Roads D+

Many roadways confined by developments or natural topography. Honolulu and its surrounding neighborhoods regularly experience some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. Meanwhile roadway travel demand statewide is projected to continue to increase from 2.4 million daily vehicle trips in 2007 to 3.4 million daily vehicle trips by 2035, and sea level rise and flooding threaten existing roadways. Continued maintenance, improvement and expansion of our aging infrastructure is crucial to the efficiency and reliability of the road network.

>> 4,455 miles of public roads, with 39 percent in poor condition.

>> $708 per motorist per year in costs from driving on roads in need of repair.

Schools D+

Many aging public schools face chronic capacity constraints. As of 2017 the average age of the schools overseen by the state Department of Education was 62 years old, while 53 buildings were over 100 years. When a facility is beyond its useful life, higher maintenance and repair costs are anticipated. While the HIDOE is undertaking innovative projects to increase sustainability and reduce costs, the Legislature needs to consider an increase in funds.

>> $88 million gap in estimated school capital expenditures.

Solid waste C

Landfill capacity is expected to be reached by 2038 on Oahu and beyond 2040 on the Big Island. This assessment does not account for the ability of these facilities to handle a significant threat or incident, such as a hurricane or tsunami, when large amounts of solid waste are suddenly generated. Attention is needed to develop innovative solutions to minimize shipping of recycled waste from Hawaii.

Stormwater D-

Majority of stormwater systems owned and maintained by state and county agencies, with some lacking adequate capacity. Systems drain directly into the ocean, affecting marine life, and regulating agencies are emphasizing need to reduce amount of trash, debris and pollutants entering stormwater systems. Based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018 assessment, 88 of the 108 marine water bodies did not meet water quality standards. Dedicating funding from utility charges can provide additional sources of funding for drainage system upgrades; however, there are currently no user fees or charge rates in place.

Wastewater D+

While some owners and operators of wastewater infrastructure, including the City and County of Honolulu, have done a commendable job of upgrading assets, adding capacity and preparing for the future, capital improvements for wastewater systems statewide remain in the billions. This does not include adequate funding, however, for several vital wastewater infrastructure programs that could potentially require an additional several billion dollars. Also, many of the estimated 88,000 cesspools statewide have significant public health and water quality impacts and will need to be eliminated.

>> $2.16 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

Source: American Society of Civil Engineers