Posted on: Wednesday, October 24, 2001

Board of Water Supply probes employees' meter use

By Mike Gordon and Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply is investigating what may be illegal meter tampering by 40 employees to reduce their water bills.

The department said suspicious water use prompted the investigation.

An independent agency may be hired to complete the investigation, said Donna Kiyosaki, deputy manager of the board.

Problems surfaced recently when workers tested the new automated meter reading system, she said.

"We started seeing some things that were unusual and we started investigating," Kiyosaki said yesterday. "We are taking this very seriously and we are going to follow up."

Mayor Jeremy Harris said yesterday afternoon that he had not spoken to Water Manager Clifford Jamile, but "our policy is that any potential criminal act is turned over to the police."

City Councilman John Henry Felix, a former member of the board, questioned why the water board, the mayor, the police and the prosecutor's office were not notified shortly after the allegations came to light.

Felix called it "highly inappropriate" to suggest that an independent agency step in when police and prosecutors would be the right choice.

"The police and prosecutor should have been involved in this to ensure that the investigative work is done appropriately."

Although water use can vary widely from home to home, Kiyosaki said engineers were concerned about readings that were well below average use, which is about 350 to 400 gallons a day.

Kiyosaki said many of those under scrutiny may have a good explanation for sudden changes in water use, such as people moving out of their home or extended trips. But consistent low levels also draw attention, she said.

"We want to assume they are innocent until proven guilty," she said.

An employee guilty of tampering with a meter could be fired, she said. Jamile sent a letter to employees Oct. 12 warning that some employees are being investigated for allegedly tampering with meters to reduce their bills.

"I have a deep sense of disappointment and betrayal that some of our employees could be taking advantage of the Board, the City Department of Wastewater and ultimately our customers to profit individually," he wrote. "We are investigating this matter and will follow up with appropriate steps."

Jamile did not respond to requests for further comment yesterday.