O'ahu water use drops 5%
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Three weeks after O'ahu residents were asked to cut their water use, the voluntary restrictions have produced nearly a 5 percent drop in consumption and mandatory measures may not be necessary, Honolulu's top water official said yesterday.
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"I drive around," said Clifford Jamile, manager and chief engineer of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. "I see lots of brown yards."
Clifford Jamile said he is hopeful to get some wet weather by mid-September.
Jamile told the board at a meeting yesterday that people are responding to the call for voluntary conservation. The board began calling for water cutbacks Aug. 2 after the dry, hot summer drove consumption to a record 180 million gallons a day in early June.
Although people haven't yet reached the board's goal of a 10 percent cutback, to 162 million gallons per day, Jamile said he thinks people are trying to conserve water.
He said if use shoots back to close to 178 million gallons a day, he would then ask the board to make conservation mandatory. Water use for the week ending Aug. 20 averaged 170.78 million gallons per day, slightly up from the previous week's 168.92.
Jamile said people who aren't complying with the voluntary restrictions may soon get a reminder from water officials. Those warnings would be handed out to people to remind them to limit watering of lawns and plants to Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
"Violators may be subject to having flow restrictors installed," the notice reads.
The Board of Water Supply has imposed mandatory water restrictions once, in July 1984.
O'ahu rainfall last month was 47 percent of a normal July, Jamile said. Water board chairman Eddie Flores Jr. asked Jamile when Honolulu might get some relief. Jamile said he is hopeful to get some wet weather by mid-September.
Jamile said the board will continue to remind people about voluntary conservation and has printed 5,000 notices for hotels to use to ask visitors to reduce the amount of water they use. The notices include water tips such as turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving to save about 3 gallons per minute and take a short shower instead of a bath to save 20 gallons or more.
Top water users such as the Chevron plant in Campbell Industrial Park and Marine Corps Base Hawai'i at Kane'ohe Bay have taken measures to decrease their demand.
In addition, Jamile is reminding restaurants to serve water only to customers who ask for it.
Hawai'i has been in a drought for nearly five years. As water use climbed, well levels dropped, prompting the water board's request for voluntary cutbacks.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
