Sewage spill at senior living complex in Kaka’ako has residents sounding off

By A’ali’i Dukelow

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — When Bo Bae Kim said she encountered puddles near the back entrance of the garage at her Kaka’ako apartment complex, she did not think anything of it — until neighbors informed her the liquid was a sewage spill.

“I got a few messages from people saying hey, don’t go out the back door because there is poop water back there,” Kim recalled of the leak that she said happened back in February at the Honuakaha public senior living building.

“I did notice at the time that the water was kind of like, chunky.”

Fellow resident Patricia Stone shared she felt “nauseous” when she caught wind of the incident.

“It was where it was leaking became a big deal because it was next to the elevator and how can you miss a situation like that,” Stone added.

According to property management company Locations, the discharge was cleaned up the next working day and the area was sanitized with antimicrobial disinfectant.

But residents of the mixed, public senior housing and fee simple condo complex are frustrated because they claim management still has not formally provided them details as to what exactly happened.

“We’ve been using coconut wireless to get everybody informed. A lot of people still don’t event know,” Kim said. “We have a lot of seniors with walkers, carts, wheel chairs, I mean even just a cut on their foot this could be so bad for them.”

A representative from Locations reported they are looking into more ways to inform residents about incidents like this in the future, adding health and safety are priorities to them. The company has also been working on a newsletter that is expected to launch next month to update residents on building matters.

A representative from the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which owns the building, said the agency provided Locations guidance on how to handle similar situations moving forward.

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