HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0673.003 2022-2024 P/CRco&
COHH,673
Barbara. Bell C ; I Y 13 Li
69-1536 Puako Beach Drive, Kamuela, 967 `3UF r AIM 1
bbellster(a�gmail.corn 808.937.2573
PUAKO4REEFS.ORG 2O211 JAN 2 2 $N1 9: tl l
January 23, 2024
RE: Hawaii County Council Communication 673, RE: A presentation by Carollo Engineers
regarding the Integrated Wastewater Management Plan and related community outreach
TO: Conference Committee Chair: Rebecca Villegas and Vice-Chair Jenn Kagiwada
Members: Heather Kimball, Cindy Evans, Michelle Galimba, Holeka Goro Inaba, Matt
Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder, Ashley Kierkiewicz, and Susan Lee Loy
Aloha, my name is Barbara Bell, a resident of Puako, South Kohala and a member of the steering
committee of a newly formed 501 (c) 3 organization, Puako 4 Reefs. I am in strong support of
Carollo's work and in particular their work in Puako. And I am asking myself, how can this plan help
the reef in Puako? We are seriously committed to protecting the reef, helping it to recover as much as
possible.
As you probably know, wastewater is the primary contributor to degraded water quality. It is not the
only factor, but it is the biggest one we have control over. Since tourism, the State's #1 industry, is in
large part drawn by images of a clean environment, my hope is that the Hawaii County Council would
join us in lobbying the state in all the cesspool abandonment bills at the Legislature this year. In
particular the bills accelerating the Priority One cesspool abandonment deadline to 2030.
Please also realize that in West Hawaii in particular, there are areas that are not served by County
wastewater treatment plants, yet there are private plants close enough for connections. This is the
case in Puako and we could really use your help to complete the journey to a fully-sewered Puako.
Did you know?
• Greg Asner has determined that 50 years ago coral cover was at 70%, it is now at 7%.
• We are a very low-lying neighborhood with shallow near shore waters, and are blessed with a
reef that offers protection to beach parks and shoreline. Our last survey showed 75% of Puako
property owners support a major upgrade of our wastewater. A new survey is imminent.
• Puako hosts the largest amount of marine tourism on our island, by far! There are daily dive
and snorkel boats, kayak tours, SUP tours, whale watching, and manta ray trips.
• We have so many studies and reports, by many entities. There are water quality studies, done
over decades, even a Preliminary Engineering Report for a sewer. Basically, we have at least
four inches of documents— and those are just the ones I know about!
• The myriad reports conclude upgrading cesspools to ATUs is not enough, we need to get all
wastewater away from the water table. Therefore, a proper sewer!
• This one REVENUE NEUTRAL change in law would drastically change the financial
calculations for getting existing sewer systems to expand their reach, and could possibly help
with the construction of new systems.
• Many current bills at the Legislature have financial incentives, tax credits for example, as
carrots. However, the motivation of an upcoming deadline is HUGE, even without the financial
incentives, and will specifically help us with our sewer efforts in Puako.
Thank you for all your help and for this time to speak. Comm. No -it
Sincerely, Barbara Bell Ref. To:
Ref. Date