Waiahole residents protest water transfer
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward Bureau
WAIAHOLE — With memories of the fight over water from the Waiahole Ditch still fresh here where the battle was mounted, residents last night shot down a proposal to transfer control of the valley's water system from the state to the Board of Water Supply.
About 150 people attended a meeting at Waiahole Elementary School called by the state Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawai'i, which operates the well-based water system but says it cannot continue to do so because it is losing money from the deteriorating system and is not equipped to operate it.
About 20 people with signs such as "No Water No Life," "God Put Water Here Leave it Here," and "Waiahole Dry Too Late to Cry" quietly voiced position prior to the meeting. But residents didn't stay quiet for long, interrupting speakers, voicing disbelief and echoing support of their neighbors.
In a hand vote at the end of the meeting, residents said they didn't want their system conveyed to the BWS, and they want HCDCH to negotiate with the community about the fate of their water.
"We strongly oppose any more water, ground or surface, being taken out of Waiahole," said David Chinen prior to the meeting. Chinen is president of the Waiahole-Waikane Community Association, which brought the Waiahole Ditch lawsuit against the state water commission — the agency charged with protecting Hawai'i's water resources.
"For over 100 years the BWS has acted like a dictator, taking water from where God has put it and moving it to where the BWS wants it to go for development," Chinen said. "Enough is enough."
Barry Usagawa, principal executive of BWS' Water Resources Unit, said the decision to transfer the wells to BWS isn't final, but if it is approved no water would leave the valley, a rural area between Kahalu'u and Ka'a'awa on O'ahu's Windward side.
"We're interested because we're trying to expand our rate base," Usagawa said. "It's not to take water out of the valley; in fact we're going to keep water in there."
The system has several problems, including a leaky reservoir that loses up to 70,000 gallons a day. If BWS obtains the system it would fix it but rates would go up.
Robert Cappella said the community didn't need the BWS to fix the system.
"We can solve our own problems," Cappella said, adding that he didn't want the state's help, either.
The Waiahole Ditch was built in 1916 to carry water from Windward streams to Leeward cane fields, diverting millions of gallons a day. When the sugar industry waned, Windward activists and taro farmers fought for the return of the diverted water. The debate has been seen as a clash of culture and ecology on one hand versus progress and development on the other.
In a major victory for Windward advocates, the Hawai'i Supreme Court last year rejected part of the state water commission's landmark 1997 decision that divided Waiahole Ditch water. In effect, the court's ruling required that water distribution be readjusted, but the court also urged commissioners to consider the preservation and protection of natural resources and the interests of traditional users.
The well water discussed last night is not connected to the ditch, but for residents the issue raises the specter of government intrusion and concerns about the potential for distribution of the well water to other communities, which would affect Waiahole Stream.
Waiahole landowner Jim Anthony said residents are upset at what seems to be an attempt by the state to push the decision through without community input. Vowing to take the issue to the state Supreme Court through the community association if necessary, Anthony said the state and BWS are rushing into a decision that will deplete Windward streams and raise the cost of water for Waiahole Valley.
Anthony said the community association would like to explore other options. He said that given the capacity of the wells the BWS could earn about $7.9 million a year from the extra water if it were allowed to pump to capacity.
"We wanted to have consultative discussion with them and they've now jumped the gun because they're under pressure from HCDCH to transfer," he said.
The HCDCH is a state agency set up to provide Hawai'i residents with affordable housing. The agency owns land in the Waiahole Valley that it leases to farmers and operates two wells for the agriculture park developed in the mid-1970s when farmers faced eviction to make way for urban development. The wells were developed in 1991 and have had a leaky tank for most of those 10 years.
The system has the capacity to pump 2 million gallons a day but pumps only about 140,000 gallons a day. If the state is successful in turning over the water system, the BWS would be unable to pump more water without permission from the state water commission.
The wells provide 70,000 gallons of potable water to 81 residences and eight agriculture lots, and lose another 70,000 gallons through leakage, according to the HCDCH. Waiahole residents are charged 90 cents per 1,000 gallons, as opposed to the $1.77 other O'ahu users pay for the same amount. Waiahole farmers pay 22 cents per 1,000 gallons, whereas other O'ahu farmers pay 75 cents.
Sharyn Miyashiro, HCDCH executive director, said even if the state did maintain control of the wells, rates would increase because the state is losing $86,000 a year on the system. She estimated that the rate for residents would have to jump to $6.81 per 1,000 gallons for the first 15,000 gallons to fix the system and break even. But the decision to transfer the system was based on other factors.
"We're not equipped to operate the system," Miyashiro said. "Not with money, not with people."
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
