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in this situation. Our understanding is that there is quite a bit of overage with water consumption in
<br />this particular area. Also being the Kona Coffee Belt, there is quite a bit of water being used just to
<br />keep agriculture continuing. But in this case, maybe I, you know, in working with the applicants,
<br />I’ve got to say that they are people that will make the effort; I have the assurance just from seeing
<br />them from the beginning work on all the issues that have arisen. So that might be a consideration,
<br />maybe we can ask that they provide onsite storage for agriculture uses.
<br />
<br />GIFFIN: Mr. Chairman, I agree, and I’m really grateful for the input. Because I’m concerned
<br />about the resource, and it’s not an unlimited resource, and so with overages like what was noted in
<br />the Background Report, that’s abhorrent. And I think that just simply saying that it is common in
<br />the region, that’s not enough. I think it’s incumbent upon us to start making a change. And not
<br />necessarily at the expense of this particular applicant. I don’t want you to feel that we are picking
<br />on you or using you as an example; that’s not it at all. But I feel that we need to do something.
<br />Thank you.
<br />
<br />BEAUDET: Let me just comment. So – I know that Commissioner Hickcox has a comment to be
<br />heard, too, but – let’s all keep in consideration that, you know, leakages are not looked upon as
<br />proper resource management, and we would, you know, we would hope that the applicant would
<br />address the issue, and it sounds like they will. But as we are not in the presence of anybody from
<br />the Department of Water Supply, the Commission isn’t aware of the impact that this use is causing
<br />to the system. The 800 gallons per day is a statistic that is applied to a five-eighth inch meter, but
<br />that’s not to say that it’s depleting the resource. So those are two different things that are for
<br />consideration, yeah? So I just want to communicate that to the Commissioners that we don’t know
<br />if there is gross negligence as was put into the notes earlier. Yeah, okay. So, Commissioner
<br />Hickcox.
<br />
<br />HICKCOX: I have a question of the applicant. Do you have plans? What are your plans to address
<br />this overage or leakage?
<br />
<br />OKAGI: I have isolated the leakage to one of three lines that are coming up, so I’ve eliminated the
<br />main supply line coming up; there are three lines that come up, and I’ve isolated it to one of the
<br />three. So we are going to have a period early next week where we are going to be empty for a
<br />couple of days, which will be a good opportunity for me to just shut everything down and figure out
<br />which one of those lines the leak is in, and then from there figure out exactly where the leak is. The
<br />situation is complicated by the fact of how the plumbing was run; some of it runs under the concrete
<br />driveway and is under the main cement pad. The main house was built sort of into the hill side, so
<br />they bulldozed out an area to create a flat area, and then they laid the plumbing, and then they
<br />backfilled in behind that. So some of the plumbing is down six, eight feet under ground. So if it’s
<br />leaking there, it’s never going to come up, given how porous the land is there. So we just never see
<br />it. And that has created challenges for us before, and we’ve had leaks in the past, and actually had
<br />to even remove some plumbing from our system in order to just eliminate the leak because we were
<br />never able to find it. And if that’s what it takes, you know, we are, because we have no interest in
<br />spending so much water, money on water, both from a conservation standpoint and also just in
<br />terms of our pocketbook. So we want to address that as soon as possible. And, you know, we are
<br />conscientious, and we’ll do everything it takes. On another note, we’ve never actually received any
<br />notification from the Department of Water Supply on this issue until now. So, had it been brought
<br />to our attention sooner, we would have addressed it sooner.
<br />
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<br />EXHIBIT A
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