BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY
COUNTY OF MAUI
RECONVENING OF REGULAR MEETING OF
MARCH 9, 2000 ON MARCH 15, 2000


The Board of Water Supply's meeting of March 9, 2000 recessed
and reconvened on March 15, 2000 at 12:30 p.m. in the Planning
Department Hearing Room located on the first floor of the
Kalana Pukui Building, 250 South High Street, Wailuku, Maui,
Hawaii.

Board Members in attendance were Chairman Robert Takitani,
Clark Hashimoto, Michael Nobriga, Peter Rice, Elmer Cravalho,
and Jonathan Starr.

The following is a transcription of the recording of the
discussion held during the reconvening of the meeting:


MR. TAKITANI: I'd like to reconvene the Board of Water Supply
meeting.  It's 12:31 p.m., March 15, 2000.  We're meeting in
the Planning Conference Room.  We have Board Members present,
Clark Hashimoto, Mike Nobriga, Peter Rice, Elmer Cravalho,
Jonathan Starr, and myself, Bob Takitani.  We have the Director
David Craddick, Board Secretary Fran Nago, Executive Assistant
Jacky Carroll, and in the audience Deputy Director George
Tengan, Mike Quinn, Paul Seitz, Herb Chang, and Herb Kogasaka.
Fran, do you want to list the others?

MS. NAGO: We have Harry Eagar from Maui News, Sherri Morrison
from Charmaine Tavares' office, we have Mark Vaught and Garret
Hew from EMI, Warren Watanabe, and Elliott Krash.

MR. TAKITANI: We go again to Roman numeral seven, other
business, discussion and possible action regarding the
Upcountry water situation.  Mr. Craddick, would you give
us the latest information.

MR. CRADDICK: We passed out a sheet here, Upcountry water
system conditions as of March 15th, and that's as of this
morning.  Wailoa Ditch is at 20.4 million.  I believe
that's up a little bit, .4 million from yesterday.
Kamole Treatment Facility is producing at 6.9 million
for the previous 24 hours and actually has been at that
level for a number of weeks except for the day before
yesterday on the 14th - it was at 5 million.  Piiholo
Reservoir is at 20.2 million or 40% of capacity.  And
we have been pumping back to that facility since February
17th, and - what's the date on here - on February 21st it
was 22 million.  And you can see by pumping up, we kept
that from dropping, but not really increasing any.  The
Waikamoi Reservoirs are empty.  Kahakapao is about 53
million.  Olinda Treatment Facility is running at 1.6
million.  The total demand yesterday was 8.4 million,
and that's about the range that it's been in between 8
and 9 million gallons a day for about the last week and
a half.  And based on those conditions there and looking
at the fact that Piiholo would have been much emptier
had we not been pumping up, I feel we are in a low water,
drought emergency situation.

MR. TAKITANI: Mr. Nobriga.

MR. NOBRIGA: Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter a motion
on the table at this time for discussion by the Board that
the Board authorize a drought emergency declaration to
allow the Department to utilize any and all sources of
water within its purview for the health, safety, and
welfare of its citizens exempting all ag users but
instituting a mandatory 10% reduction measure for
residents.

MR. CRAVALHO: Mr. Chairman, second the motion.

MR. TAKITANI: Mr. Cravalho.

MR. CRAVALHO: Mr. Chairman, if I can proceed.  It is my
understanding that your motion would include the
enforcement of the mandatory cutback of 10% in residential
areas.  Because the passing of an emergency, Mr. Chairman,
without any enforcement is meaningless.

MR. STARR: Mr. Chair?  As a point of order, I would like
to allow the public if they wish to express some opinion
to be able to come before us today and say what is on
their mind.  I see some people out there.  Maybe they're
desirous of saying something.

MR. TAKITANI: Well, we have a time constraint of 1:00.
If we're able to do that and still meet the 1:00 time...

MR. STARR: Can I request that we allow that but we ask
for real brevity to just a few minutes ...INAUDIBLE...

MR. CRAVALHO: Mr. Chairman, point of information, the
opinions would be relative to the pending motion?

MR. STARR: Yes.

MR. TAKITANI: I see no disagreement.  Is there any
member of the public that wishes to express testimony?
Brevity.

MR. SMITH: Brevity.  My name is Jim Smith.  I'm a
resident of Haiku.  I have lived on Maui since 1978 in
Haiku, and I am well aware of the drought circumstances.
There is a problem I have.  I've reviewed and participated
in planning, and I've been amazed at how wonderful the
plans have always been.  In 1981, the Haiku Plan was
wonderful.  We've had wonderful plans.  The problem has
always been execution.  Now, if you're going to have a
drought emergency and not execute the terms of that
emergency, then what I fear is losing is public confidence
and a shifting to despair as it may be over time and
withdrawal from involvement at all with government.  In
time, I noted that the word customer appeared in every
single document that the Board and the Department produce
regarding me - I'm a citizen.  My trust is in you, other
citizens.  If you're going to execute a drought, please
put in to specific terms how that will occur.  Thank you
very much.

MR. TAKITANI: Thank you, Mr. Smith.  Is there any other
testimony from the public? 

MR. CRAVALHO: Mr. Chairman, ask for the question.

MR. STARR: I don't want to talk.  I'd  like to listen.
I'd just like to know what steps will be implemented
if we proceed.  I'd like to ask the Director what he
intends to do.

MR. CRAVALHO: Well that's part of the motion there.

MR. TAKITANI: But he's specifically asking what kind
of action would occur to ensure compliance.

MR. STARR: And also, I want to be sure that maximum
effort will be used to keep pumping water uphill.

MR. CRADDICK: Well, maximum effort will be used to pump
water uphill.  As far as enforcement, what we normally
do is we go back and we look at the average over the
previous two years, the consumption.  And that is what
we use as a base for the 10% requested reduction.  And
the reason - any ways, that's what we ask.

MR. TAKITANI: Mr. Nobriga?

MR. NOBRIGA: Can I ask that the topic of the enforcement
be placed on the next earliest agenda that we have on
our regular board meeting so that we can discuss that
in more detail and hopefully come up with a more
dignified solution.

MR. TAKITANI: I think meter readers that are possibly
maybe displaced because of the automated meter reading,
et cetera, that are now on leak detection may be able
to be used for such policing action.

MR. CRADDICK: No, we use all available people to do
the policing, but I'm talking about the basis of what
we're asking for the 10% from.  Because what's happened
in the past is when - this particular case, we're not
going through the warning stages that we used to have,
so there may not be the same problem where people jump
the consumption up the previous month.  But that's what
we've been doing since 1991.  It's a procedure everybody's
familiar with, and we know it works.

MR. TAKITANI: Any other discussion?  If not, it's been
moved and seconded that the Board of Water Supply
declare a drought emergency utilizing all available
resources - groundwater, etc. - to insure the health,
safety, and welfare of Upcountry residents and
agriculture, and exempting agriculture from any
restrictions, and imposing a mandatory 10% on all
residential meters.

MR. CRAVALHO: With the enforcement of same.

MR. TAKITANI: With the enforcement of same.  Thank
you, sir.  All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed, nay.  The ayes have it.

MR. STARR: Mr. Chair, I'd like some other information
that's relevant but not directly pertaining.  I'd like
the status of the Kulamalu Well, and also an update on
the status of the ???

MR. CRADDICK: First the Kulamalu Well, we started
yesterday putting a generator up there.  I know
they're having a problem with the pressure relief
valve there.  We need a pressure sustaining valve
in there, and some parts have to be changed so that
may take one or two days to get those parts.  And we
will need permission from HC&S to dump whatever water
isn't pumped into the system into the ditch when that
pressure relief system goes open to relieve the pressure.
Well actually, we probably don't need permission.  We
could dump it down the stream, but it would kind of be
a waste of water.   I prefer getting it into the system
where it could be put to some use.

MR. STARR: When that's operational, where will that water
be going and what effect will it have?

MR. CRADDICK: It will be going into the Haiku system.
We would expect somewhere in the order of around half
a million gallons a day demand would be relieved from
the Wailoa Ditch by doing that.  The balance of that
water should be pumped up.  The Hamakuapoko Wells produce
about a million and a half gallons per day.  That water
will also be able to be pumped up to Piiholo.

MR. STARR: Is the flume functional?

MR. CRADDICK: The flume was finished yesterday.  They're
still working on the railings on the side, but all the
intakes are opened up, and I believe some water did
come in last night.

MR. STARR: I think the Board should compliment the
staff on getting the flume back in, back in order.  I
know it was a difficult task, and I really appreciate
the staff efforts.  They did a good job.

MR. CRAVALHO: Just as a matter of informational
clarification, whatever the case may be.  It has been
my understanding that whatever water is put into Wailoa
Ditch from H'poko Wells or wherever, would not be
utilized to reduce the withdrawal amount from the ditch
system.  This will supplement, not reduce.  Is that not
correct?

MR. CRADDICK: That's correct.

MR. CRAVALHO: So if we again, if we place matters in
proper perspective, we look at what is available - we
say 20 mil, we have the right of 7 point some odd, 20
million gallons from the ditch.  We have the right to 7
point some odd.  The capacity of the treatment plant is
up to 8.2 which is relatively close to the consumption
at the present time where there are absolutely no
restrictions.  So when the amount from the H'poko Wells
goes into the system, as a condition of 1.5, so we're up
to 21.5 or 22.  Twenty right now on the ditch flow plus
H'poko is 1.5.  And if we get the Dowling Wells into
operation as of yesterday rather than next week.  That's
another half a mil or 600,000.  So we're talking about 22
mil with the full capacity of the treatment plant of 8.2.
We are not yet in a tremendously dangerous situation.
The supply that is coming as of this day should be able
to meet the demands and the needs there with the prescribed
enforcement of 10% reduction for domestic use and other
use other than the farmers.  So I think we need to keep
this in proper perspective.  Mr. Chairman, if I may, I
think there is a far more serious problem which I think
Mr. Starr has alluded to in the past, and that deals with
the overall drought situation which is true not only for
this island or other portions of this state, but it seems
to be national and in many cases international in nature.
So when we look at the need for water conservation, that
need and that conservation should not be limited only to
the Upcountry area.  There should be a program initiated
and put into effect for all parties and all areas to get
into a conservation program.  And we develop as we go
along an educational program because if this problem is
going to be on our hands for a period of time, then I
think we got to go and get everybody's help and everybody's
cooperation.  And I think we'll be all right.  

MR. TAKITANI: Thank you, Mr. Cravalho.  Any other
discussion?

MR. STARR: Mr. Chair?  With those positive remarks, I
move for adjournment.

MR. CRAVALHO: I second the motion.

MR. TAKITANI: Moved by Mr. Starr, seconded by Mr.
Cravalho.  All those in favor of adjournment, signify
by saying aye.  Opposed nay.  Ayes have it - we're
adjourned.

(THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS TO DISCUSS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED.)

Submitted by:
Frances L. Nago
Secretary for the Board of Water Supply