Puna area still cut off from water

Advertiser Staff

HAWAIIAN BEACHES, Hawai'i — Most of the 3,000 Puna residents served by the private Miller & Lieb Water Co. went without water for a second day yesterday. The problem was caused by a pump failure at the well that serves Hawaiian Beaches residents.

A county tanker has been providing drinking water, and officials urged residents to conserve water until the pump can be replaced, possibly as early as today.

It is the second loss of water service in three years in the Puna subdivision near Pahoa. The first occurred in November 1999, and a new pumping unit was installed in February 2000, according to Bruce Butts of the Civil Defense Agency.

None of the other subdivisions in Puna has water service; they rely on catchment systems.