Water Conservation — Page 2 — Hawaii First Water

Maui County Running Out Of Time To Settle Clean Water Act Case

September 4, 2019

Aug 2019: Civil Beat: Author: Nathan Eagle; Maui County Council members are expected to decide Tuesday (3 Sept 2019) if they want to go against Mayor Michael Victorino and settle a major Clean Water Act case instead of letting a conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court decide it in November.

The four environmental groups that brought the lawsuit delivered petitions this week with more than 15,000 signatures to Council Chair Kelly King. They are urging the council to step in now so it can spare the county — and the country — from an unfavorable judgment.

The Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club-Maui Group, Surfrider Foundation and West Maui Preservation Association sued in 2012 after trying for years to reach an agreement with the county over its Lahaina wastewater reclamation facility, which has been releasing treated water into the ground that ends up entering the ocean and harming coral reefs.

The conflict revolves around the adverse effect of the effluent discharge on the coral reefs and marine ecosystem at Kahekili on Maui.

District and appeals courts have ruled that the county needs a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the facility, which handles about 3 million to 5 million gallons of sewage a day. It serves about 40,000 people.

But Victorino is fighting that decision and has succeeded in getting the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Environmentalists are concerned that the court’s decision would gut the Clean Water Act, a situation that would have implications far beyond Hawaii.

For the rest of the Civil Beat article click here…

Hawaii Climate Change Panel Discussion – April 25, 2019

July 6, 2019

July 2018

Climate Change Panel Discussion – April 25, 2019

APRIL 25, 2019 – Members of the Board of Water Supply Stakeholder Advisory Group had the opportunity to learn about the impact of climate change on Hawaii.

Video Presentation Links (Vimeo)

If you would like to watch a specific presentation or just the Q&A, please use the following Vimeo links.

U.S. Household Water Use Continues to Decline…

December 4, 2017

(December/Kobayashi Comment: This trend is also seen in Hawaii although Hawaii’s population growth will likely erode this decline in the future.)

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue:

Continuing a trend that began in the early 1990s with tighter federal plumbing standards, U.S. household water use dropped again in 2015.

When assessing national figures, there are two main ways to gauge water use at home: the amount used per person and total water use, which incorporates changes in population. By both measures, water use is declining, according to the latest report from the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency that gathers national data every five years.

For people served by public and private utilities, water use for cooking, drinking, showering, lawn watering, car washing, and other household tasks dropped to an average of 83 gallons per person per day in 2015, down seven percent compared to 2010. Household use was 105 gallons per person per day in 1990.

Link for the rest of the article

AWWA/HWEA Pacific Water Conference

November 5, 2017

(November ) The American Water Works Association Hawai‘i Section and the Hawai‘i Water Environment Association are proud to announce the fifth annual joint conference now known as the Pacific Water Conference at the Hawai‘i Convention Center from February 6 – 8, 2018. Our joint conference committee is hard at work to bring you an exciting, fun, and educational conference.

The Pre-Conference Workshop kicks things off on Tuesday, February 6. The Conference officially opens on Wednesday, February 7 and lasts through Thursday, February 8. Join us at the Convention Center Kamehameha Exhibit Hall I to cheer on this year’s operator competitions featuring HWEA’s Operations Challenge and AWWA’s Pipe Tapping and Top Ops events. Remember to check out the exhibitors showcasing the newest and latest products in the industry. With five technical session tracks to choose from, there’s sure to be one that piques your interest. The conference golf tournament will be held on Friday, February 9 at the Kapolei Golf Course, and the community service event will take place on Saturday, February 10.

Here is the link to register…

US Climate Resilience Toolkit: Freshwater and Drought

October 20, 2017

October: (LK Comment: Found this excellent USG website recently which provides links to details about the effects of climate change in the Pacific and elsewhere. This portion focuses on freshwater issues)

The ability of people, plants, and wildlife to thrive on Pacific islands is tied to the amount of precipitation each island receives. On time scales from months to decades, climate variability and change affect precipitation patterns across the region. On even the smallest islands, freshwater is necessary to support plants, animals, and any human inhabitants. On developed islands, natural sources of water must also support agriculture, industry, and tourism. Relatively high demand for these uses means that water supply is constrained and may become more limited as climate changes.

Here is the link

Restoring Water Rights in Hawaii

September 29, 2017

Sept: Earthjustice attorneys Isaac Moriwake and Kapua Sproat discuss their decade-long fight to restore freshwater, taken by corporate water users, to the streams in which it rightfully belongs. The cases, which pit large companies against local residents, are often described as David and Goliath struggles and several of Earthjustice’s victories have been precedent-setting.

here is the link to their podcast…

(Kona’s) Waiaha Deepwell’s return to service derailed by malfunction, cable break

August 4, 2017

Aug 2017, By Max Dible West Hawaii Today mdible@westhawaiitoday.com

KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply hoped by Monday to return 2 million gallons of water per day back to the short-handed North Kona water system.

After a significant setback over the weekend, those hopes now lie dashed alongside a new pump and motor — both likely damaged from the mishap — more than 1,700 feet underground at the bottom of the Waiaha Deepwell.

There is no timeline for when the well might again be operational.

“I don’t expect it in the near future at all,” said Keith Okamoto, DWS manager and chief engineer. “But it’s too early to tell how many months or whatever (it will be)….

…DWS discussed at the time possible procedures for strategic water disruptions, if such action proved necessary. Kim said it was compliance with the mandatory restriction from some of North Kona’s largest water consumers, as well as the community at large, that allowed everyone’s water to stay on. He said Monday he is hopeful those customers will maintain the same vigilance moving forward.

Repairs to the other three downed wells in the area remain on schedule, Okamoto said, and all are expected to return to service by the end of the year or sooner.

See the rest of the article here…

Warming may lead to freshwater stress on many islands around the world

July 16, 2017

(Kobayashi comment: This article in Nature is about a year old, but is especially key for freshwater planning for islands in the South Pacific and elsewhere.)

Scott and Lindsey: May 2016

The millions of people—not to mention other animals and plants—living on islands already face unique challenges due to global warming. As seas rise and temperatures climb, islanders may have fewer choices for relocating people, infrastructure, or agriculture than larger countries do. Among the most serious public health and ecological threats facing islands may be freshwater stress. Nearly three-quarters of the islands examined in a recent study were projected to experience much drier conditions by 2050, with the situation worsening by 2090.

The bubble map at top right shows projected changes in freshwater stress by 2090 for 80 island groups around the world. Brown indicates increased freshwater stress, and green indicates decreased stress. The larger the dot, the larger the current population.

The bottom map shows small island groups that may be especially vulnerable by the end of the century due to a combination of drying and expected population growth. (Only the 22 island groups that had their own entry in the World Bank’s nation-specific population database were included in the second analysis.) The size of the dots on this map was determined by multiplying the projected change in freshwater stress in 2090 by the estimated population growth by 2050 (the farthest time horizon available for these islands).

Kris Karnauskas, the lead scientist on the research, explains that when he and his colleagues considered future rainfall changes alone, the models predicted that roughly 50% of small islands would get drier in a warming climate. But when it comes to freshwater stress, rainfall is only half the story. The other half is evaporation, and estimating evaporation from the land surfaces of small islands is something most global climate models—called GCMs, for short—don’t do.

The rest of the article may be purchased from Nature Magazine.

Rare East Honolulu freshwater spring protected by community

July 16, 2017

July 2017. HONOLULU (AP) – One of the few remaining freshwater springs in East Honolulu will be protected for life after multiple groups came together to purchase it.

County and state officials and East Honolulu community members celebrated on Thursday the $2.6 million public purchase of Kanewai Spring.

The purchase permanently protects a key source of freshwater for Maunalua Bay and opens up the lava tube-fed pool to conservation and education.

The rest of the article is here…

(Hawaii) County scrambles to fix wells but repairs more than a week away…

July 3, 2017

July, By Cameron Miculka West Hawaii Today cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com

HONOKOHAU — Commercial fisherman Tyler Hams makes his living on the water, and that living depends on keeping saltwater out of his motor and his equipment clean.

For that, he needs fresh water.

“I mean, I get it that there’s a water restriction,” Hams said at Honokohau Harbor on Friday. “This is how we make our living.”

Hams was one of many boaters and fishermen at the harbor on Friday who said an emergency restriction on water usage issued the day prior that ordered a halt on washing boats was unworkable.

The notice came down following the failure of the Keahuolu Deepwell and asks North Kona residents and customers to immediately restrict water usage to health and sanitation uses. Four other wells of the 13 that service the area have been inoperable since January.

A separate announcement from the mayor’s office said North Kona residents “must cease all other non-essential water use, including all irrigation and washing of vehicles and boats.”

In an update released Friday afternoon by the Hawaii County Department of Water Supply, the department said the restriction remains in effect and that North Kona residents and customers must continue to restrict their use of water to health and safety purposes.

See the rest of the article here…

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