Saving for a rainy day just got literal.
The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Facility Maintenance and Malama Maunalua, a nonprofit that aims to restore and conserve Maunalua Bay — which stretches from Black Point near Diamond Head to Koko Head Point near Hawaii Kai — recently launched the pilot Rainwater Capture Incentive program.
The program will provide free rainwater capture solutions to all residents, with a focus on applicants from underserved communities, the city said in a Jan. 8 announcement.
Participants can choose one of three green rainwater capture solutions: a rain garden, a rain barrel or a native tree.
Responses to frequently asked questions posted on the project website say that more residences working to address rainwater runoff means the project can help "reduce flooding and polluted runoff," and also will help fresh water conservation.
These solutions, or strategies that manage rainwater "where it falls, through natural processes," can also help reduce water bills by allowing residents to capture or reuse rainwater, the site states.
"With this being a pilot, the aim is to determine how an incentive program can be implemented with the potential to be developed into a fully developed county-wide program," the FAQ says.
More than 15 organizations and agencies have helped develop the pilot program, which is funded by the Wai Maoli Hawaii Freshwater Initiative, the city said. That initiative belongs to the nonprofit Hawaii Community Foundation.
”DFM is thrilled to co-lead this pilot program initiative,” Department Director and Chief Engineer Gene Albano said in a statement. ”We look forward to further fulfilling our department’s mission of empowering individuals to maximize their ability to capture rainwater to help cherish our island’s freshwater and improve ocean water quality to protect the public’s health and the environment.”
“Addressing stormwater runoff is one of the great challenges to protecting our environment and communities. Only by the public proactively participating can we hope to adequately address the issue,” Doug Harper, from Malama Maunalua, said in a statement. “I’m excited about this opportunity and look forward to demonstrating how we as a community can protect our island and ourselves.”
Additionally, the city said a new app called ”Follow the Drop,” which was developed by 3Rwater with support from DFM, can "help property managers and citizens assess how much rainwater a property could capture, help size solutions that are eligible for the incentive program and submit them directly for consideration.”
The application period for the pilot project, which has limited funding, is open through March 31.
For more information or to apply, visit rainwaterhawaii.com/.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
