Maui County is planning a $3.5 million project to build a new water tank and to perform other improvements at the Kihei Wastewater Reclamation Facility that will result in more recycled water for customers.

In its draft environmental assessment filed with the state Office of Environmental Quality Control on July 8, the county says that adding a second 1-million-gallon tank “will create a more robust system that can accommodate the increase in recycled water demands during the peak summer months.”

Currently, the Kihei facility, which is mauka of Piilani Highway, produces R-1 recycled water, the highest grade of recycled water for nonpotable use, according to the county. It distributes the water through the South Maui Recycled Water System.

During the summer months, the system delivers about 1.8 million gallons of recycled water a day to about 30 customers in South Maui, according to the draft report published in the July 8 issue of OEQC’s “The Environmental Notice.”

Recycled water is used for landscape irrigation for golf courses, road shoulders and medians; dust and fire control; composting; street cleaning; soil conservation and drinking water for cattle, according to the county.

Recycled water customers in South Maui include Elleair Maui Golf Club, the Kihei Fire Station and Piilani Gardens apartments.

Another tank near the current one off Piilani Highway and upgrading waterlines from 14 inches to 18 inches would provide redundancy and greater reliability and allow for an increase in recycled water customers, the county said.

The project would provide an alternate water source to meet nonpotable demands and reserve drinking water for residents’ use. The project also will decrease the use of injection wells for effluent disposal, the draft report said.

The project is scheduled to go out to bid in 2017. Construction is expected to be completed within 18 months of award, the county said.

The assessment noted that the tank site is proposed for land owned by Monsanto. No adverse impact to agriculture is anticipated with the project, the draft report said.

The facility is bordered by Elleair Maui Golf Club to the north, Goodfellow Brothers offices to the south and Kihei Compost LLC to the east.

The assessment also noted that the project area is “highly disturbed” and that much of the ecosystem has been altered. The project will not substantially affect rare, threatened or endangered species or their habitat.

A finding of no significant impact is expected for the project. The review and comment period will end Aug. 8.

Send comments to County of Maui, Department of Environmental Management, Wastewater Reclamation Division, Joanie Gushiken by mail at 2200 Main St., Suite 610, Wailuku 96793-2155 or email joanie.gushiken@co.maui.hi.us.

A copy also should be sent to consultant Lynn Malinger, Fukunaga & Associates Inc. by mail to 1357 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1530, Honolulu 96814 or email lmalinger@fukunagaengineers.com.

The assessment can be found online at health.hawaii.gov/oeqc; click on “Current Environmental Notice.”

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.