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Water conservation measures to begin April 9

Upcountry reservoirs low due to lack of rain

Dave Taylor

Maui County’s water director alerted the public Friday of his intention to declare a stage 1 water shortage for Upcountry, which calls for voluntary conservation by residents effective April 9, due to a lack of rain in the Makawao Forest Reserve.

The declaration, which was approved by Mayor Alan Arakawa, does not result in increased rates but does call for water customers in Haiku, Makawao, Pukalani, Olinda, Kula and Ulupalakua “to conserve water and avoid any unnecessary water use,” said a news release from the Department of Water Supply on Friday.

The water department’s website showed the two reservoirs at Waikamoi virtually empty and the Piiholo reservoir at 8.8 million gallons, or only 17.6 percent of capacity, on Friday. The two 50-million-gallon Kahakapao reservoirs were nearly full with 46.3 million gallons each.

Water Supply Director Dave Taylor noted in an interview Friday that the problem is “geographically associated” to the 3,000-foot elevation of the Makawao Forest Reserve area around the Piiholo Treatment Facility. No water is coming in, he said.

The water director may call a stage 1 water shortage if the anticipated water demand in the area is projected to exceed available water supply by 1 to 15 percent. Due to reduced surface water flow and lack of rain, Upcountry conditions fall within that band, though Taylor said it is not possible to come up with an exact percentage.

As a result of the water shortage and the efforts to deal with the problem, the department said there may be a change in water taste and smell. Taylor wanted to emphasize that the Health Department has determined that the water is safe to drink and does not contain harmful bacteria or other pathogens.

The department will be continuing to monitor and test the water and provide updates, the water department said.

The issue with the smell and taste stems from the drawing of water from East Maui Irrigation’s Wailoa Ditch, which is fed by East Maui streams. Taylor said that the department received a few complaints about the water quality a few weeks ago and shut down the Kamole Weir Water Treatment Facility, which handles water from the ditch, to diagnose the problem.

The department has determined that taste and smell issues are related to a decrease in the flow of water in the EMI ditch system, Taylor said. Without the need to irrigate thousands of acres of sugar cane because of the closure of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. in December, EMI has reduced flow in the ditches, basically to meet the county’s needs, he said.

On Friday, the Wailoa Ditch was flowing at 17.5 million gallons a day, 8.8 percent of total capacity.

The decreased flow in the ditches and drought conditions in the watershed have led to slower-moving water that has become stagnant, the water department said. This has increased the levels of two compounds, produced by decaying organic material, that are affecting the odor and taste of the water, even after going through the treatment facility.

One compound, geosmin, produces an odor similar to overturned rich soils. It is naturally occurring and is found in beets, spinach and mushrooms.

The other compound, 2-methyl isoborneol, is a naturally occurring compound produced by blue-green algae in surface water, the water department said.

“The substances are detectable by the human nose at very low concentrations,” the water department said.

“There is no risk to human health from the taste and odor compounds,” said Joanna Seto of the Safe Drinking Water Branch of the Health Department, adding that the water meets federal and state drinking water standards and “remains safe to drink.”

“People may taste something that is different or unpleasant,” but the water is safe, Taylor added.

“Bottom line is our ditch conditions have changed, and now we have water more exposed to high organic matter in our ditches,” said Taylor. “This did not occur during our wet season when the waters were flowing but now that we are in our dry season, it’s more prevalent. This is something that seems to be temporary for residents.

“The good news is the water is 100 percent safe to drink, just as it was before.”

The department has managed to keep the Wailoa Ditch water from the system since the initial customer complaints but will have to restart the Kamole plant to meet water demand during the drought conditions, he said.

“We need to bring it back online,” Taylor said.

If customers can conserve and get through the drought, there will not be a need to progress to stage 2, which could initiate increased rates, Taylor said. He said that as long as there is enough water in other sources to make up for the drought in the Piiholo area, “we will be OK.”

The department offered some tips for conserving water:

• In the kitchen, put fruits and vegetables in the sink or in a pan rather than letting the water run, wash a full load of dishes in the dishwasher, and keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator.

• In the laundry room, wash full loads of laundry and use an Energy Star washing machine.

• Water lawns only when needed, check the weather and don’t water the lawn if it is going to rain, check the aim of irrigation systems so water is not wasted on sidewalks, and check garden hoses for leaks.

• For swimming pools, install a pool cover, turn down the thermostat, and plant a windbreak.

For general water information, go to www.mauiwater.org.

* Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.

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