On this week’s episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, Randall Wakumoto, Program Administrator for the Department of Facility Maintenance’s Storm Water Quality Division and Doug Harper, Executive Director of Mālama Maunalua join host Brandi Higa to talk about their individual roles in protecting public health and the environment, a project to provide incentives for O’ahu residents to capture rainwater on their properties, and getting more folks to help cherish our island’s freshwater and improve our ocean water quality.
Teamwork makes the dream work
This month, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM) and Mālama Maunalua launched a Pilot Rainwater Capture Incentive Program.
DFM’s Storm Water Quality Division, led by Randall Wakumoto, works with other departments, residents, and businesses to manage O‘ahu’s storm water for the health of our waters and island communities.
Mālama Maunalua, a non-profit stewardship organization, is committed to conserving and restoring a healthy and productive Maunalua Bay.
Rainwater Capture Incentive Program
The Rainwater Capture Incentive Program aims to provide free rainwater capture solutions to all Oʻahu residents — owner or renter, single-family home or apartment — with a focus on applicants from underserved communities, including economically disadvantaged, multi-generational, and kūpuna-led households.
“The idea is that stormwater runoff is an issue that affects residents, affects the environment, and that we need to do something about it,” said Doug Harper. “One of the ways we identified was the installation of what is called green infrastructure, which are things like rain barrels, rain gardens, permeable pavement, trees and getting those installed to try and capture some of this rainwater.”
Over the past year, more than fifteen organizations and agencies have provided expertise and guidance to help develop the program, which is being funded by the Wai Maoli Hawai‘i Freshwater Initiative.
Pushing for more Climate Champions
When it comes to tackling climate change, there are a lot of barriers that have made it difficult to deal with, including the distant nature of the problem, feeling powerless, and feeling guilty about contributing to fossil fuel emissions. On this episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast, we asked about overcoming these barriers and influencing public behavior.
Randall Wakumoto talks about personalizing the issues. He goes on to say, “It’s just trying to change their mindset and hoping they understand. If there’s a fisherman or a surfer, hopefully they have that connection with the water.”
For more on the City and Mālama Maunalua’s Rainwater Capture Incentive Program, please visit https://www.rainwaterhawaii.com/
