Grove Farm Company could have its water treatment system completed by the end of the year, opening the way for the development of its residential, commercial and industrial projects in Lihu‘e and Puhi, the head of the Kaua‘i County Water
Grove Farm Company could have its water treatment system completed by the end of the year, opening the way for the development of its residential, commercial and industrial projects in Lihu‘e and Puhi, the head of the Kaua‘i County Water Department has told county leaders.
During a Kaua‘i County Council meeting at the historic County Building Wednesday, DOW manager and chief engineer Ed Tschupp said the project, when completed, also will result in the lifting of a water meter restriction for Lihu‘e and Hanama‘ulu as well.
The operation of the treatment facility will increase the water capacity for those two areas, Tschupp said. A daily shortfall of 1730 gallons exist for both areas.
Grove Farm company leaders initially sought out a water treatment system that would treat only 1 million gallons for their projects.
But through an agreement reached between DOW officials and Grove Farm leaders, the facility was enlarged to treat 3 million gallons daily, according to Kymm Solchaga, a communication specialist with the DOW.
DOW officials plan to buy 2 million of the 3 million gallons from Grove Farm to support public water needs in East Kaua‘i.
In response to questions by Council chairman Kaipo Asing, Tschupp said the new system will produce enough water to make up for a daily shortfall of 1730 gallons for Lihu‘e and Hanama‘ulu.
Water from Kapa‘a also will help make up for the shortfall, Tschupp said. While Kapa‘a wells produce “plenty of water,” there aren’t enough water storage facilities for the area now, a factor that limits development in parts of the Kawaihau District, Tschupp said.
Grove Farm will operate the system, but DOW officials have worked out an agreement with Grove Farm leaders to step in to operate the facility, if need be, Tschupp said.
He said a private developer such as Grove Farm seemed better suited to operate such a facility, adding he heard that Maui County had trouble retaining operators for such a system.
DOW officials, Tschupp said, also weren’t sure DOW had employees who could run the system.
At an estimated cost of $8. 2 million, the water treatment facility will be built by Grove Farm, Tschupp said. The project is going up by the Kapaia Reservoir, located more than four miles northwest of Hanama‘ulu Bay.
Grove Farm leaders opted to build the facility rather than drill wells because they felt the former was a more cost-effective way to develop water sources for their projects, Solchaga said.
Wells are dug, but there are no guarantees that they will be producing the volume of water Grove Farm leaders require, Solchaga said.
For the treatment system, water will be taken from the Hanamaulu Ditch and will be treated by a micro-filtration system using membranes, Tschupp told council members.
A 300,000-gallon tank also will be located by the treatment plant, Tschupp said.
Work on project started earlier this year, and is slated to be completed in 10 months, Solchaga said.
DOW officials and Grove Farm leaders have been working on the plans for the treatment plant for the past seven years, Tschupp said.
The plant was supposed to have been placed in Puhi, but was later moved to its current site mauka of Hanama‘ulu.
Grove Farm vice president Mike Furukawa said the replacement site was a better choice for his company.
“The systems there are superior, in terms of access and ease of maintenance, in terms of systems capacity, in terms of a large reservoir (that) can be used as a buffer and as storage. To make the water clean, just easier maintenance overall,” Furukawa said. “And those were the primary reasons.”
A blessing ceremony was conducted for the project on Wednesday.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and lchang@pulitzer.net
