LIHU‘E — Community members can now learn more about county Department of Water projects online. David Craddick, DOW manager and chief engineer, said the content on the new micro-website linked to the DOW’s site was developed in response to public
LIHU‘E — Community members can now learn more about county Department of Water projects online.
David Craddick, DOW manager and chief engineer, said the content on the new micro-website linked to the DOW’s site was developed in response to public queries regarding the status of Water Plan 2020.
The plan is a comprehensive, long-range planning effort that the DOW started in 2001 to ensure safe, affordable and sufficient drinking water in the 21st Century, county officials said.
Water Plan 2020 calls for the review of existing facilities and service standards and provides an outline for replacement facilities, expanded facilities, financial plans and a continuing review of revenues, the website states.
The plan concentrates on potable water used for drinking, agriculture, commercial uses and fire protection, addressing replacement of the sources, pipelines, enclosed reservoirs, and funding needed to expand the potable water facilities.
Non-potable water for agriculture, stream standards and watershed management is not covered by Water Plan 2020 because these issues are the focus of other state and local planning and regulatory processes, the website states.
“The Department of Water is now nine years into Water Plan 2020 with about $100 million spent to improve the county’s water system and to safeguard Kaua‘i’s drinking water for now and for future generations,” Craddick said in a DOW news release. “This work represents an average of $10 million a year in escalating and improving the assets of the Department.”
More than $37 million was allocated or spent by the DOW on a variety of projects in every district of the island, including the laying of almost 95,000 linear feet of pipeline, the rehabilitation or construction of 11 storage tanks and planning or rehabilitation of 10 water source sites, the release states.
Projects listed on the micro-website fall into three categories: Capital Improvements Projects to correct current deficiencies in the DOW system and meet future needs; Capital Rehabilitation Program which covers in-kind replacements or repair of deteriorating or aging equipment without changing their capacity; Capital Replacement Program covering repair or replacement of existing deteriorated infrastructure while also increasing capacity, states the micro-website.
By visiting www.kauaiwater.org and clicking on the link labeled “Progress Report on Water Plan 2020,” visitors can see a detailed listing of projects, location of the project, scope of work involved and contractors. Additionally, a chart of system improvements sorted by communities will allow visitors to see how much benefits have been derived for specific neighborhoods.
The new website also describes where Kaua‘i’s water originates from, how it is collected and transmitted through more than 400 miles of pipeline to 20,000 customers representing about 70,000 population served, the DOW release states.
The DOW is responsible for 51 wells, 60 tanks, two tunnels, 19 booster pump stations and 75 control valve stations which serve nine separate, unconnected systems including Wainiha-Ha‘ena, Hanalei, ‘Anini, Kilauea, Anahola, Lihu‘e-Kapa‘a, Kalaheo-Koloa, Hanapepe-‘Ele‘ele and Kekaha-Waimea.
The department has a staff of 75 people who perform all functions necessary to collect, treat and distribute potable water from the source to the tap while supporting functions including accounting, customer service, engineering, planning and procurement.
Visit www.kauaiwater.org for more information.
LIHU‘E — The county Department of Water is distributing waterquality reports for the period of Jan. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2010that describe the quality of Kaua‘i’s drinking water and where itcomes from.
A report has been prepared for each of DOW’s nine water systemson Kaua‘i and mailed to all of its customers, a county news releasestates.
The water quality reports contain basic information on thesource of water for the nine DOW systems, levels of contaminants inthe water and compliance with drinking water rules, as well asother pertinent information.
Kaua‘i’s water meets all of the Environmental ProtectionAgency’s guidelines for safe drinking water and any contaminantsfound were well below the highest levels allowed by the EPA.
The Safe Drinking Water Act, a federal law, requires waterutilities to provide water quality information to its customersevery year.
For more information or to request additional copies of thereport, call the DOW at 245-5455 or visit www.kauaiwater.org.
