The Kauai County Department of Water lifted the water conservation notice as of 3 p.m. Saturday for Hanapepe-Eleele customers. Officials say customers can resume normal water use.

County personnel, along with the Hawaii National Guard and American Red Cross, are assessing damage in areas affected by flooding across the island.

“We express our gratitude to our partners with the Hawaii National Guard, volunteers with the American Red Cross, and county officials for their assistance in conducting damage assessments caused by flooding,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami in a news release issued just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday. “The information provided will aid us in comprehending the extent of residential damage and its impact on our community.”

Officials urge caution to residents and businesses as more inclement weather is expected for late Saturday through Sunday. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Kauai starting midnight Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday. The public is urged to be prepared and remain vigilant.

Crews from the Department of Public Works Roads Maintenance Division and the Hawaii Department of Transportation continue to respond to road closures on Kauai.

Updates to road closures include:

• In Wailua, Apana Road is closed due to heavy ponding. In addition, drive times of an hour or more have been reported on Kuhio Highway at Wailua Bridge as the southbound lane remains closed and the northbound bridge is currently accommodating two-way traffic.

• In Kalaheo, Wawae Road, east of Kikala Road, has been cleared of a small landslide. However, motorists are advised to drive with caution.

On Friday, Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation for the County of Kauai due to the severe weather the island and its residents have experienced since Thursday.

“The severe weather on Kauai has caused damage to our roads, bridges and other infrastructure,” said Green. “This emergency disaster proclamation will help the state and county with the emergency response to the heavy rains, flooding and landslides impacting the people of Kauai.”

The proclamation authorizes the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to take action to assist in emergency response efforts and authorizes the Adjutant General to activate the Hawaii National Guard if needed. The disaster emergency relief period is effective through April 22.

The Kauai County Department of Water continues to monitor the water situation on Kauai and as of 8 a.m. Saturday morning, DOW has lifted the water conservation notice for Haena-Wainiha customers since water tank levels have stabilized.

In the Hanapepe-Eleele area, however, DOW has issued an immediate water conservation notice because of an issue affecting the system’s pump station.

Officials say water tank levels are very low and customers may experience low water pressure to no water service. They advise residents to limit water use to essential needs only such as cooking, drinking and sanitation to avoid a full water service outage.

Conservation measure include turning off fixtures that automatically draw water such as ice machines and irrigation systems, as well as refraining from outdoor recreational water uses.

The public can monitor water service announcements online on the Department of Water Facebook page.

As of 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the Hawaii Department of Transportation reopened Kuhio Highway in the area near Hanalei Bridge. As a result, the community-run shelter at Hale Halawai in Hanalei closed.

HDOT officials also provided an update on Wailua River Bridge which was closed on Friday for safety reasons because a drill rig had fallen onto the railing and storm debris needed to be removed. The bridge was inspected, and officials found the drilling rig had not compromised its structural integrity.

The southbound bridge will remain closed through the weekend and there will be no Kuhio Highway contraflow on Saturday. Two-way traffic will continue to be routed on the northbound (makai) bridge. HDOT anticipates reopening Wailua River Bridge in time for the morning commute on Mon., April 15.

Following the Monday reopening, nightly closures will occur 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. April 15 through April 19 to remove storm debris.

Another round of heavy rain is forecast for Kauai over the weekend, which could impact the work being done at the bridge.

Other road closures as of 5:15 p.m. Friday:

• Hanalei: Kuhio Highway near Hanalei Bridge remains closed.

• Lihue: Pua Loke Street near Haleko Road remains closed because of a sinkhole and leaning utility pole.

• Lawai: Hoona Road and Lawai Road are closed as Waikomo Stream is overflowing onto the roadway. Akemama Road also remains closed because of small mudslide.

• Poipu: Hoone Road near Poipu Beach Park and Kuai Road are closed due to flooding. The entire parking lot at Poipu Beach Park is also flooded.

Park closures:

• Lydgate Beach Park is closed until further notice; an update will be provided when the park reopens.

• Kalalau Trail remains closed due to high stream levels.

• Wailua Golf Course is closed because of flooding.

• All athletic events at county parks have been canceled through the weekend.

Utilities:

• Kauai Island Utility Cooperative: Residents are encouraged to report power outages at KIUC’s outage map.

• Department of Water updates are available on their Facebook page.

• Wastewater Treatment Plants at Waimea and Wailua experienced spills. The Wailua spill has been controlled. In Waimea, Kikiaola Harbor and its waters have been affected and signs have been posted for the public to avoid the area. Questions and comments can be directed to Donald Fujimoto at 808-241-4083 or via email at dfujimoto@kauai.gov.

Kauai County has begun assessing flood-affected areas on Saturday. Property owners and renters are encouraged to report damages to the Kauai Emergency Management Agency website.

The National Weather Service has up-to-date information on its website and via its automated weather line, 808-245-6001.

For road conditions and closures, the public can call 808-241-1725.

People can sign up for the county’s emergency notification service, the Wireless Emergency Notification System, on the KEMA website and click “WENS.” KEMA is also available at 808-241-1800.

Editor’s note: The article has been updated with information that the water conservation notice has been lifted for customers in the Hanapepe-Eleele area in addition to road closure information.

Sarah Yamanaka covers news and events for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.