Water shutdown planned for Elepaio Road in Kekaha May 14

Homes and businesses on a section of Elepaio Road in Kekaha will be without water Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting, while Kauai County Department of Water crews install a single service lateral, add a new hydrant valve and upgrade a hydrant lateral. Residents were told to store enough water before the shutdown starts, avoid using appliances that require water and not let water heaters empty.

The shutdown covers Elepaio Road between Akialoa Road and Amakihi Road. Once service is restored, DOW crews will flush the system through an open hydrant and then move into road repair work, which means the disruption will not end the moment water pressure returns.

County officials said the work is intended to improve water system reliability and fire protection in the area. That matters in Kekaha, where hydrants and laterals are part of both daily service and emergency response, and where even small system upgrades can affect how quickly crews can respond if a line fails or a fire breaks out.

The Elepaio Road work also fits a broader pattern of localized water-system maintenance on the west side. On April 29, 2026, the county announced a similar shutdown on Ulili Road in Kekaha to install a new 4-inch valve and upgrade a hydrant lateral. On October 3, 2024, it scheduled another Ulili Road shutdown to install a new hydrant valve and hydrant lateral, and on November 2, 2023, it announced a shutdown on a portion of Kekaha Road for hydrant valve installation. A separate conservation notice from Hanapepe to Kekaha in July 2024 also showed that west-side water management has remained a live issue.

Residents with questions can call the Department of Water at 808-245-5455. For now, the practical advice is simple: fill containers before Thursday morning, conserve what is already in the tank and plan on temporary service interruption along Elepaio Road while the county completes the upgrade.