Parts of East Hawaii asked to cut water use by 10%

[Eric1600]

Due to the ongoing dry conditions, the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply requests that customers in Hakalau-Wailea, South Hilo, Hawai‘i Ninole and North Hilo reduce their daily water usage by 10%.

Listed are some ways to conserve water tor each the 10% goal:

* Wash only full loads of laundry or dishes at a time.
* Check faucets and pipes for leaks.
* Serve drinking water only when requested.
* Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Use drinking water wisely.
* Do not let water run unnecessarily. Shut the water off when you wash or brush your
teeth. Use a glass to rinse when brushing your teeth.
* When bathing or showering, use water only to wet and rinse off.
* Do not fill up the bathtub.
* Do not flush toilets unnecessarily.
* Review and reduce the frequency of irrigation schedule by adjusting timers appropriately.
* All irrigation and agricultural users should keep water usage to a minimum. Irrigate only at night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. This measure will reduce water loss due to evaporation, and minimize water system usage during peak demand.

http://bigislandnow.com/2017/08/11/east-...water-use/

[kalakoa]

Hakalau-Wailea, South Hilo, Hawai‘i Ninole and North Hilo

"No need for Puna residents to worry, most of them are on catchment..."

[alaskyn66]

Plenty of rain in Mt view.I thought water ran downhill..

[Eric1600]

"No need for Puna residents to worry, most of them are on catchment..."

Except I often see trucks on the road filling catchment tanks when things get dry. If parts of the county on the east side are having water problems, then it is probably going to effect everyone if it continues.

[Chunkster]

My tank is full right now, despite what is obviously a dry year. (Yes, we take showers and regularly wash our clothes and dishes) We conserve all the time to save electricity and because it just makes sense not to waste water. My next door neighbors with exactly the same size catchment have had several loads of water delivered.

My friends on the mainland can't believe people here are asked to conserve if it looks like we are going to get "only" 90 inches in a year. It's all a matter of what one (and one's environment) is used to. On the upside, some of my plants actually seem to like it somewhat drier.

[Eric1600]

Having large areas of land with man made and natural reservoirs make a big difference in capturing that rainfall. Right now most of Hawaii runs off the water tables with very few reservoirs. When wells and pumps fail problems escalate fast.

I have heard that politicians are starting to seek solutions in terms of desalinization plants like with Lanai.

The plant will produce about 2.5 million gallons a day of fresh water from ocean water, or more than a third of the island's current usage.

"Water is the number one priority. It is the number one issue. Without it ... (expansion) will not proceed," said John Ornellas, chairman of the Lanai Planning Commission.

The plant will be located next to Manele Bay Hotel and the Lanai's sewage plant. Workers from Ellison's Lanai Resorts have begun drilling pilot wells to test the feasibility of the plan.

"They eventually may want to increase the capacity to 5 million gallons a day, which would help with irrigation of a new type of agriculture," said Butch Gima, president of Lanaians for Sensible Growth.