Relief research · dataset 2026.08
Leak adjustment and assistance information for Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS), City and County of Honolulu
A high bill does not automatically qualify for a credit. This page states only the provider-specific emergency, leak, or assistance details identified in public material.
Stop active water loss
Use the provider’s emergency route for public-side issues and a qualified repair route for private plumbing.
Preserve the evidence
Keep dated readings, photographs, parts receipts, contractor invoices, and proof that usage returned to normal.
Ask for the exact policy
Confirm the form, filing deadline, eligible repairs, calculation method, and payment expectation during review.
Provider-specific findings
Relief research for this provider
The notes below may document a route, rule, or explicit public-information limit. General preparation steps are not represented as utility policy.
- Emergency reporting route
- (808) 748-5000, extension 1, is the BWS 24-hour water-trouble/emergency line for water-main breaks, no-water conditions, and water-quality or pressure problems. General Customer Care is 808-748-5000, option 5, and Billing & Payments is 808-748-5020 during weekday office hours.
- Leak-adjustment policy
- BWS encourages customers to detect and repair leaks and provides a Billing Dispute Request Form for disputed bill dates, amounts, reasons, and requested adjustments. The current publicly indexed BWS materials do not state a single universal residential leak-credit formula, maximum credit, or fixed repair deadline; a customer should document the abnormal usage, inspect the meter and property, repair the customer-side leak, retain plumber or repair receipts, and submit the account number, service address, affected bill dates, amount in dispute, reason, and specific adjustment requested to BWS Customer Care at 630 S. Beretania Street or customerservice@hbws.org. BWS reviews the dispute and may require proof of repair or other evidence. A water-main break is handled through the 24-hour trouble line, while sewer-only billing disputes go to Honolulu Environmental Services.
- Utility assistance program
- BWS itself does not publish a recurring senior, disabled-veteran, or low-income water-rate discount in the current rate schedule. Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services launched the CARES sewer-assistance program in 2026, offering up to $240 in annual sewer bill credits to eligible Oʻahu residential sewer customers with household income at or below 80% of area median income. BWS customers receiving sewer charges on a combined statement should apply through the City sewer program and verify whether the credit is applied through the BWS billing account.
- State and federal aid connection
- The principal 2026 assistance integration identified in official Honolulu materials is the City and County CARES sewer credit, administered for eligible Oʻahu residential sewer customers. BWS's current water pages do not publish a separate federal LIHWAP application or water-bill cap. Customers facing broader hardship should contact the City assistance system, BWS Customer Care, and Hawaii community-action resources; eligibility and funding for electricity or other household utilities may be handled through state or federal programs rather than BWS.
Directory comparison
Public-information visibility
| Measure | This provider | Hawaii | National index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leak policy identified | Yes | 21% | 35% |
| Utility assistance identified | Yes | 21% | 31% |
| Relief fields documented | 4 of 4 | — | — |
Coverage does not measure generosity, eligibility, available funding, or service quality.
Read the nationwide analysis →Research record
Broad public detail found
4 of 4 fields in this section contain provider-specific public detail in dataset August 1, 2026.
Documented
100%
Primary verification routes
- Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS), City and County of Honolulu public website ↗
Provider-controlled destination used to confirm current customer instructions.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System ↗
Federal background on public water-system records and their limitations.