With each passing month, building the successor to Aloha Stadium becomes more of a flat-out race against time than just a by-the-numbers process.

And adhering to the announced timeline of a fall 2023 opening looms with more urgency than a fingers-crossed wish.

That was underlined once again on Thursday when the Aloha Stadium Authority was told the decaying 45-year-old facility is faced with some failing water pumps and water pressure could be lacking at some faucets and restrooms during peak periods of use on the upper concourse level for several weeks.

This comes as the University of Hawaii prepares for what is, potentially, its biggest football crowd of the year for Saturday’s Mountain West Conference showdown with 25th-ranked San Diego State.

The winner of the 6 p.m. game clinches the West Division title and will advance to play for the overall conference championship Dec. 7 against an as yet undetermined Mountain Division champion.

UH also has a Nov. 30 regular-season finale against Army and, possibly, an appearance in the Dec. 24 SoFi Hawaii Bowl against Brigham Young.

Stadium manager Scott Chan, who briefed the panel, said UH has been informed of the situation and the stadium’s plans to help mitigate it.

“I want to assure not only the board, but the general public that we have something in place if (problems) were to occur at this particular game since we anticipate a large crowd,” Chan said.

There are eight pumps supplying eight upper concourse restrooms that need to be replaced and Chan said the current water pumps are so obsolete that replacements must be specially ordered and fabricated, then shipped here. He estimated the cost at $80,000-$100,000.

“You have to understand that this is an aging facility and it is 45 years old. And, it is not like you can just go down to your (neighborhood) Lowe’s store, pick up the parts and put them in,” Chan said.

While the stadium is showing its age, it is also exhibiting the impact of a failure to keep up with needed repairs over an extended period. Earlier this year a Department of Accounting and General Services official said requested funds for health and safety repairs were not granted for three of the previous four fiscal years (2016, ’18 and ’19).

A report by a consulting structural engineering firm released in January cited examples of approximately 200 weathered steel components and 85 decking panels “exhibiting severe corrosion” and said the stadium would require “at minimum” $30 million over the next two years to remain safe and operable.

The report recommended that the facility, which opened in 1975, be inspected on an annual basis, with more frequent checks if situations arise. Previously, the policy had been for biennial inspections, an industry standard.

Some fans have pointed out rusting and cracks near their seats. But stadium officials have said the facility remains safe to use and areas that deteriorate could be blocked off, if necessary.

One of the benefits of public-private partnerships, such as what the state is seeking for the new stadium, is that development partners may be charged with upkeep.

For the current situation, Chan said stadium engineers and plumbers have been working with the Board of Water Supply. In addition, he said, stadium personnel and special “ambassadors” will advise fans going to the upper levels of the situation and how they may be accommodated on the lower concourse.

As for the future, the race is definitely on to build the new, adjacent Aloha Stadium before the old one crumbles into a rusty heap in Halawa.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.