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Draft Hamakua CDP <br />Comments Submitted Online or by Email <br />During the March 15 — June 15 2o16 Review of the Draft Hamakua CDP <br />studied the endemic presence of leptospirosis in Waipio Valley rodents and found a prevalence rate <br />above 20% in some common species (Pac Sci 33:257). Leptospirosis is carried in the urine of rats and <br />mongoose and may contaminate open waterways through those vectors. To our knowledge no one has <br />studied the safety of the ditch water for food crop irrigation and aquaculture despite the obvious risks <br />due to its open configuration. Regardless, there is a high probability that piping the ditch water in HDPE <br />would improve microbiologic safety for down stream rate payers and farmers. What is also clear is that <br />enclosing the ditch would vastly reduce the maintenance costs on the ditch and vastly improve the <br />reliability of the irrigation water source which frequently has to be shut off for repairs. A few land <br />owners claimed that they would maintain the ditch through the few linear feet that the ditch ran <br />through their property but that begs the question of what benefit that has on the rest of the greater <br />than 95% that remains to the tax payer to maintain. <br />Ironically the ditch was not improved and enclosed due to the lobbying of a very few who's claim was <br />that the ditch was an historic land mark. The problem is that the primary original function of the ditch in <br />1910 is the very same as the primary current function of the ditch today and that is to sustain the local <br />agricultural community. The primary function of the ditch and the farming community that it supports <br />should not fall prey to late arriving agenda of a few people who have failed to take into complete <br />account the reason the ditch exists in the first place. <br />Some of my neighbors and I have the following concerns: <br />1. We are not aware that the people who actually pay for the water service of the Hamakua Ditch were <br />adequately represented, if they were represented at all, in prior decisions to halt improvements to the <br />ditch over the howls of a few vocal stake holders who appear to be politically and legally powerfully <br />connected. <br />2. We are doubtful that the aggregate costs to the tax payers, the ditch rate payers, the local <br />agricultural efforts and, to the community at large have been factored into the decision to NOT enclose <br />the ditch water and we strongly urge those estimates to be included the next time this issue comes up <br />politically. <br />3. We are concerned about the health safety of the ditch water if not enclosed especially for food crop <br />farming and we advise that health safety be strongly considered in leaving the ditch open. We wonder if <br />not currently being performed, whether the ditch water should be analyzed at intervals by the <br />Department of Health for coliforms, leptospirosis and other contaminates they deem appropriate. <br />4. Operation of the Hamakua ditch is intermittent, the maintenance is spotty and poorly funded and, <br />excessive siltation from its open configuration leads to lost agricultural productivity which could be <br />dramatically improved by HDPE pipe installation. <br />If the Hamakua Community Development Plan is going to be a serious effort that adequately represents <br />the interests of the agricultural community, they will support enclosing the Hamakua ditch water flow <br />for the economy and safety of all concerned. <br />Draft Hamakua CDP hamakua@hawaiicounty.gov www.hamakuacdp.info <br />