NIU VALLEY — Work to replace a plastic sewer line running down Kalaniana'ole Highway's median will resume now that the city and King's Cathedral church reached a compromise over using a portion of the Niu Valley Shopping Center parking lot.

The project had been stalled after King's Cathedral, which owns the shopping center, and the city could not reach an agreement that would enable the city to use a portion of the church's parking lot to store drilling equipment.

An underground force main broke in roughly the same spot three times in 2005, requiring a temporary line to be put in while the city obtained all the necessary permits to replace the sewer line.

"We'll be able to renew the work and start in January," said Craig Nishimura, city Department of Design and Construction deputy director.

The standoff between the landowner and the city revolved around how much liability insurance the contractor would be required to obtain.

The owner had wanted the city to obtain a $10 million liability insurance policy to use 4,600 square feet of land fronting KFC-Hawai'i on the 'ewa end of the shopping center property.

Typically, when the city uses parcels of private land, it requires contractors to provide a $1 million liability policy, Nishimura said.

A representative from the church could not be reached for comment. However, in a prepared statement released by Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who brokered the agreement, senior pastor James Marocco said he was thankful to the mayor and his staff for helping to resolve the church's concerns.

"We have always wanted to be a blessing to the community, and are thankful that we can be at this time by providing access so that the county can fix the sewer problem in East O'ahu," Marocco said.

Niu Valley resident Ed Michelman was glad to hear that the city would begin to work on the above-ground sewer line.

"I do hope the agreement between the city and the church materializes," Michelman said. "The longer that pipe sits there above ground, the more at risk it is of some drunk crashing into that line and causing a spill."

The city plans to use a directional drilling method, rather than digging out large trenches and replacing sections of pipe.

The directional drilling method will take about three months and is designed to limit traffic disruptions, Nishimura said.

The new pipes then will be connected to existing sewer lines and the above-ground black plastic pipe will be removed. The total project should take a minimum of six months to complete, Nishimura said.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.