Upcountry Maui water treatment to change

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

Maui County may soon stop adding phosphoric acid to Upcountry water systems, a chemical used to combat harmful levels of lead but blamed by scores of residents for health problems that include itching and rashes.

The state's Safe Drinking Water Branch granted conditional approval to the county's request to switch from phosphoric acid to a low-carbonate, high-pH lead-control strategy using soda ash, officials said yesterday.

The approval requires first implementing a program to monitor the water for harmful levels of nitrites and nitrates.

In requiring the monitoring, William Wong, chief of the Safe Drinking Water Branch, told county officials in a letter that there's a concern whether undetected nitrification in the Upcountry water systems may have an adverse effect on the success of the new process.

Mayor Alan Arakawa said yesterday that he ordered the Department of Water Supply to do what it takes to meet the state's conditions "so the county can terminate the use of phosphoric acid as soon as is practicable."

Arakawa said that by county estimates, "the testing can be completed and DOH conditions met within four weeks."

Authorities have received more than 150 complaints about health-related problems that residents claim are linked to the Upcountry water system.

Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.