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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0494.002 2020-2022 P/RAWEfMc, qqq COUNTY COUNTY OF V I November 17, 2021 RECEIVED Time I�f f Re: Communication 494 and 494.1 Date NOV 1 6 2021 i Aloha members of the Regenerative Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management Committee, I am commenting on the update on the Keauhou Water Use Development Plan(Keauhou WUDP) Cold water freshwater outflows from the land into nearshore marine waters are essential to coral reef survival, given the fact ocean temperatures are rising fast. Our island sits on a lens of freshwater. The rain that falls on the mountain flows down to our coastal waters. Infrared imagery shows these massive blue, cold plumes of cold freshwater pouring into the red, warm ocean saltwater. The more we draw from the lens of freshwater, the less this waters will nourish and sustain our coastal land and sea natural and cultural resources. Balancing coastal ecosystems on the edge of a knife blade is not sustainability. The Keauhou WUDP must contain specific requirements for water recycling and real conservation practices instead of the current Department of Water Supply's (DWS) focus on high elevation wells that are constantly failing. We shouldn't wait to adopt wise water management practices until you reach 90% of sustainable yield, especially when"sustainable yield"is as subjective as are predictions of the degrees to which the atmosphere will warm. And the DWS should explain why our county does not have an inventory of the special pumps on hand when failures occur. Drinking water in Kona is already in violation of the Environmental Protection Agency's secondary standards for salinity. Over-pumping causes saltwater intrusion and brings it into the water system. This is a public health hazard and is not sustainable. We have about$1 billion in wastewater treatment upgrades and capacity-building that is way past due. The current wastewater systems are over-capacity and have broken, leaking feeder lines polluting ground water and polluting our coastal waters. And dumping wastewater from the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant into a hole in the ground is just plain illegal. Water recycling allows for cost recovery and pays for itself. Dumping just means we all pay more. The DWS should focus less on new wells and more on supporting an update to the plumbing code that encourages conservation and saves ratepayers money. In Honolulu, the Board of Water Supply owns and contracts a large water recycling facility as part of an integrated water management approach. As the Honouliuli Wastewater Plant gets fully upgraded under a consent decree,that water recycling facility will be expanded. Billions of gallons will be recycled instead of going to outfall pipes and injection wells impacting coastal water quality. It's time for Hawaii County to adopt progressive practices, too. Comm. W.1 Ref. To: VIKAWK Ref. ate NOV 1 6 2021 Recycling is cheaper than new source development. Additionally, thousands of buildings have seen retrofits with low-flow water devices which has reduced the volume of wastewater needing to be treated. Finally, the Keauhou WUDP does not contain specific plans to protect watersheds and forested areas essential to aquifer recharge. Forests create microclimates the produce moisture and rain, especially here on Hawai'i island. Separating water use from water sources is a recipe for disaster in the long term. In response to the Kelly v. 1250 Oceanside Partners ruling by the state Supreme County that the county had an affirmative duty to protect nearshore marine water, the Planning Department began developing a county water monitoring program in 2006. But 2008 financial crisis caused funding to become an issue and doctoral student hired to develop and implement this program went to the mainland. I hope this committee will ask the Planning Department Director if he intends to follow-through with the development and implementation of a nearshore water monitoring program and affirm the county's duty to protect these waters. Please note that the Kona Hawaiian Civic Club was plaintiff in the Ka Kapa'akai O Ka `Aina versus the Land Use Commission court case that led to Act 50 requiring Cultural Impact Assessments, yet there has been no outreach to that organization nor it has been consulted. With regard to the powerpoint presentation being made today,both the Department of Land and Natural Resources webpages for the state and county `Aha Moku Advisory Committees (AHAC) and the ahamoku.org website are incomplete and contain out-of-dated information. It is not clear if any representative of either the state AMAC and/or Hawai'i Island AMAC has been properly authorized to provide testimony on Communication 494. Mahalo, Chuck Flaherty `Aha Moku Advisory Committee (AMAC) advises through representation These `Aha Moku Island councils are supposed to have a direct line of communication with their Po`o or representative on the State `Aha Moku Advisory Committee (AMAC). That is pictured above at the Pae`aina level (4) and encompasses each level preceding it. The po`o, who sits on the `Aha Moku Advisory Committee (AMAC) advises the State through representation— bringing the concerns of their island, entire communities,before state agencies and agents. The AMAC serves in an advisory capacity to the State Department of Land &Natural Resources (DLNR) and its various Divisions. Eight(8)AMAC Po`o serve as liaisons between the State and their respective `Aha Moku Island Councils. The `Aha Moku Island Councils submit 3 candidate names for the Po`o to represent them on the AMAC. The governor chooses one nominee from the 3 candidates and the Senate reviews the nominees and confirms them to serve on the AMAC.