Wailuku Water Co. to repair water pipe in Waihee damaged by storm
System provides water for county, businesses, kuleana farmers
Wailuku Water Co. has received emergency authorization from the state to fix a ruptured pipe that caused water to shoot skyward in the Wailuku River following a major storm earlier this month. The company said it is working to get a patch for the pipe in the short term and later install a second layer over the existing exposed pipe. — HUI O NA WAI ‘EHA photo
Water shoots more than 60 feet in the air on Dec. 6 after a pipe in the Wailuku River burst following a major storm. Wailuku Water Co. believes a boulder likely landed on the pipe and caused the rupture. — HUI O NA WAI ‘EHA photo
Wailuku Water Co. has received emergency authorization from the state to fix a ruptured pipe that caused water to shoot skyward in the Wailuku River following a major storm earlier this month. The company said it is working to get a patch for the pipe in the short term and later install a second layer over the existing exposed pipe. — HUI O NA WAI ‘EHA photo
Water shoots more than 60 feet in the air on Dec. 6 after a pipe in the Wailuku River burst following a major storm. Wailuku Water Co. believes a boulder likely landed on the pipe and caused the rupture. — HUI O NA WAI ‘EHA photo
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The State Commission on Water Resource Management has approved Wailuku Water Co.'s emergency request to repair the cracked Waihee siphon pipe that sent water shooting skyward in the Wailuku River.
A portion of the century-old water pipe system in Central Maui ruptured early last week, likely due to a large boulder, following the Kona low rainstorm.
Wailuku Water Co. told the commission that workers are waiting on an engineering firm on the Mainland to complete a "metallurgy analysis" that will allow the use of a metal fabricator to make the right-sized patch for the pipe.
Whether the patch needs to be welded versus bolted, Wailuku Water Co. President Avery Chumbley wrote that this will be a "short-term immediate repair" that will get the diversion water flows back quickly.
According to the company's email to the commission on Monday, phase 2 includes going back into the site during a low water flow time and welding or bolting a second layer over the existing exposed pipe, which is 20-plus feet long.
"This will act as a bumper protection layer for future boulders coming down stream during high flow events and push the water out into the basin to prevent any furthering curling and undermining of the earthen under area, and will buy us some time to get to the phase 3 or permanent replacement project," Chumbley wrote.
There will be no excavation or filling of the channel needed to complete the two phases of the project, according to the company.
However, work in the stream channel may require use of a mini-excavator located on the north bank of the river to temporarily place larger boulders, in addition to sandbags, to provide some protection of the work site from streamflows during repairs.
In the event that a mini-excavator or sandbags are used, the commission said that the company would be subject to certain conditions, including that:
• The mini-excavator must be kept on the streambank and out of the water to minimize any fuel spills or other water quality issues.
• Only boulders and rocks currently located in the stream channel may be used or temporarily placed around the work site at the siphon.
• All boulders temporarily replaced must be moved back to or near to their original locations in the stream channel.
• Sandbags must be removed from the stream channel.
The commission said in a letter Wednesday that the stream should be restored, or as close to its natural condition as possible.
All work must be completed within 30 days of Dec. 15 when the emergency authorization permit was granted.
Wailuku Water Co. must provide notice via email to the commission within 24 hours once the repair work on the siphon is scheduled to proceed and within 24 hours of completion of the work.
This water system provides about 70 percent of county drinking water to Maui residents, along with allocations for private landowners and large companies, and more than 30 kuleana users, many of whom are Native Hawaiians who grow lo'i kalo.
"Over two dozen kuleana kalo farmers and diversified ag farmers throughout Na Wai 'Eha have been impacted and are frustrated at the lack of communication by WWC on this important matter," nonprofit Hui o Na Wai 'Eha said Wednesday.
However, the nonprofit is in support of the state water commission's recommendations in response to Wailuku Water Co.'s plans to repair the Waihee ditch siphon.
They are asking the commission to notify them as soon as work is scheduled to commence, so that "we may have monitors at the Wailuku River to ensure Wailuku Water Co. is complying with the recommendations and rules set forth in the Emergency Authorization," the nonprofit said.
"We are appreciative of CWRM's leadership and staff who have been keeping the Hui updated on a regular basis so that we can share the information out with the farmers and community."
* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.