Water Distribution

[Lokahi]

I just read an article in Hawaii Tribune Herald Newspaper regarding the Hawaiian Beaches Water Co proposal before the PUC for rate and connection fee increases. Does this company only supply water to Hawaiian Beaches subdivision or do they service other subdivisions in Puna such as Hawaiian Shores or Hawaiian Shores Recreation?

[sansei]

HSRE's Hawaiian Shores Community Association operates its own private water company.
Comparing using HSCA www (http://hawaiianshores.org) and Trib article:

HSRE / HSCA
------------
Association: (water, roads, rec commons) $210/year
Water Hookup: $800
Water Service: $21 / mo.

Hawaiian Beaches Water Co. (proposed)
(formerly Miller & Lieb Water Co.)
--------------------------------------
Association: N/A
Water Hookup: now $250 -> $1500
Water Service: now $22 -> $36 /mo. ($49.25 in 13 more months)

Comparing is like apples and oranges because HSRE association membership is mandatory and dues go to water, roads and common area use/maintenance. The Miller & Lieb water system in Beaches is known to be in need of upgrade/maintenance. The proposed Haw'n Beaches hookup fee includes material and labor. HSRE's water system is undergoing 'assesment' and the end result may be a rate increase. Any rate increase at Beaches would likely make it easier to push through an increase at HSRE.

According to the Trib article: "The PUC will hear from residents at a public hearing at 6 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Keonepoko Elementary School cafeteria in Pahoa."

[Lokahi]

Aloha Sansei
Wow, thanks for all the effort you put into answering my question. Very helpful, however, I still am unclear who provides water to Hawaiian Shores Subdivision, not HSRE's. Do you know? Maybe it's time for me to knock on my Realtor's inbox, yes? Thanks again. Happy New Year.

[Lokahi]

Just heard from our Realtor. Hawaiian Shores (not Hawaiian Shores Rec) lots are or were provided water by Miller Leib Water Company until the without notice moratorium on new hookups was placed by them on March 15, 2006 until a new well can be installed. They claim 97 percent capacity with current well. Catchment (temporary and/or permanent) is popping up in the neighborhood until the new well becomes a reality.

[Beachboy]

for what it's worth, I keep hearing that we are going into a "El Nino" season! So I expect water the be a main issue i nthe coming months. Have any of you had to have water brought in before? This could be the first year that you might have to do it!? But we will all have a better idea around the May, or June. This is when "El Nino" typically shows her colors. I will remind you that it typically comes in 3 to six year cycles, so we are right on schedule!

[Les C]

The current ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) is supposed to be a weak one, which correlates with low rainfall. I heard early predictions that rainfall is expected to be half of normal. I don't think it's been raining very much up here in Volcano. In late Oct., we had to drain out a full 10K gal. of water in order to have our liner replaced because of a pin-hole-sized leak. We got two loads of county water (2/3rds of a 10k gal. tank) in late Oct. and the tank has still not filled with rainfall. In summer, the tank filled from a 1/3 level in about a month and a half.

Even with the carbon filtration component of our water treatment, the county water still has a chlorinated taste. When our tank filled with rainwater this summer, the taste went away. So, we haven't had enough rain to top off our tank and dilute the taste.

Nit-picking: Beachboy, El Nino is masculine, La Nina is feminine. And they refer to different kinds of events.