06-22-2008, 07:30 PM
I am still friends with the owners of the 3 old neighbor houses, and the house we rented was on the market, the last I checked... so I think I can get you a looksee when you are here....
The inspection hatch covers on the ones I am familiar with had a seal around the hatch that didn't let creepy crawly things in.... in the 6 months we were living there, the water was clear, there was nothing growing on the walls (like algae that grows on some catchment systems) never anything in the catchment (the house guters & drainpipes also had screens & traps to make sure the water had nada coming in) even the over flow was constructed to keep things out....
Most likely a well dug here will have water. Unlike most mainland areas, this whole island has a lens of freshwater beneath (picture a thick eye lens with the bottom side curve way more downward & the topside with a gentler curve.... )
There have been no studies that have found any human caused contaminates in the freshwater aquifer on this side, 2 main reasons,
1. water flow straight down through rock (even porous lava) is very slow, decades to centuries (this is different than lateral flow, which includes most lava tubes, which usually do not go straight down, but follow more or less the slope of the mountain). Lateral flow is more of a concern in shallow water areas on this side....
2. there is such an outflow of fresh water on this side of the island (Hilo Bay normally recieves almost a BILLION gallons of fresh water every day, much of it is in spring waters along the coast line.... like at 'ice pond' in Reeds Bay & Richardsons...) that most 'stuff' is diluted to a non detectable percentage....
The inspection hatch covers on the ones I am familiar with had a seal around the hatch that didn't let creepy crawly things in.... in the 6 months we were living there, the water was clear, there was nothing growing on the walls (like algae that grows on some catchment systems) never anything in the catchment (the house guters & drainpipes also had screens & traps to make sure the water had nada coming in) even the over flow was constructed to keep things out....
Most likely a well dug here will have water. Unlike most mainland areas, this whole island has a lens of freshwater beneath (picture a thick eye lens with the bottom side curve way more downward & the topside with a gentler curve.... )
There have been no studies that have found any human caused contaminates in the freshwater aquifer on this side, 2 main reasons,
1. water flow straight down through rock (even porous lava) is very slow, decades to centuries (this is different than lateral flow, which includes most lava tubes, which usually do not go straight down, but follow more or less the slope of the mountain). Lateral flow is more of a concern in shallow water areas on this side....
2. there is such an outflow of fresh water on this side of the island (Hilo Bay normally recieves almost a BILLION gallons of fresh water every day, much of it is in spring waters along the coast line.... like at 'ice pond' in Reeds Bay & Richardsons...) that most 'stuff' is diluted to a non detectable percentage....