Honolulu’s sewage spills have plummeted in the last two decades thanks to extensive federally mandated upgrades, including fixing hundreds of miles of pipes each year and bolstering pump stations that send sewage to treatment plants.
But the city says more upgrades are needed, which is why it is poised to raise sewer rates for the first time in 10 years.
The work includes further treatment of wastewater that is discharged into the ocean, which can close beaches and pose an environmental and safety hazard for residents and tourists…