It's hard not to notice the 3,300 foot above-ground pipe along the center of the Kalaniana'ole Highway, labeled with two glaring words: "Live Sewer."

Thanks to a stand-off between city officials and King's Cathedral Church, the owner of Niu Valley Shopping Center, the pipe, which carries up to 3 million gallons of raw sewage, will most likely stay above ground well into next year.

That's far too long to be stuck with what was to be a temporary fix.

Installed in April 2005 following the rupture of an aging underground line, the above-ground pipe was put in place as an interim measure, with the city set to embark on a $9 million dollar project to replace it with a permanent underground sewer system.

In order to do so, the city needs to use the Niu Valley Shopping Center parking lot to store drilling equipment. Officials at the city's Department of Design and Construction thought they had the green light last August to begin the work and use the lot. But for the last two months, the city and King's Cathedral Church have been locked in negotiations.

One major stumbling block has been liability insurance. The church says its insurance company is requesting that the city come up with a $10 million dollar policy. The city says $1 million of coverage is the norm.

The above-ground pipe was supposed to be removed by February; and the underground sewer was to be completed by the end of the year. Now the entire project could be delayed for another year.

It's time for a compromise.

The conspicuous pipe on a busy highway is not just an eyesore, but a potential health hazard waiting to happen. Both the city and the church must work together to move the project forward in the interest of the community and public safety.