KAHANA — The University of Hawai'i is seeking community input about the pollution in Kahana Bay, to help with restoration efforts there.

A federal Clean Water Act grant has earmarked Kahana Bay and six other bodies of water for federal restoration efforts through the state Department of Health. The DOH Polluted Runoff Control Program is attempting to identify pollution in the bay and find its sources. Residents of Kahana have been invited to a meeting at 7 tonight at the Kahana Community Center to talk about the project.

The University of Hawai'i Environmental Center will organize the information from the community and research any other data or reports done by government and other agencies about the area, said Landin Johnson, who is with the center.

"The community has great perspective, and because they live there, they can tell where the problem areas are," Johnson said.

Ben Shafer, with Friends of Kahana, said he's glad to share his information but hopes the study leads to action.

"It's been done time and time again," Shafer said. "We give them all the information and it's put on a shelf. I'm not saying they're going to do it this time. I'm just saying historically, that's the way it has worked, unfortunately."

But Shafer said he plans to attend the meeting tonight because, he says, the project can lead to cleaner water if the state is willing to implement cleanup projects.

The state has money for projects, but the watershed background file by the UH center must be completed first, said Lawana Collier, public participation coordinator of the Polluted Runoff Control Program. The local community must then form an advisory group to work with the state, she said.

The UH center's background file will identify problem areas and possible solutions, but the community will have to take the lead, Collier said.

The seven sites under this UH contract are the Big Island's Hilo Bay, Maui's Kahului Harbor and Kihei, O'ahu's Kaiaka-Waialua and Kahana bays, and Kaua'i's Waimea and Hanapepe bays, Collier said.

The original contract was for approximately $121,800 but was increased to about $171,000 to complete the Hilo Bay watershed-based plan after its background file was completed, Collier said.

"Our intention is to have all these areas develop watershed-based plans," she said. "Once an area develops a watershed-based plan, they will be eligible for funding to do projects to address nonpoint source issues in their areas."

The seven sites were listed on the DOH lists of impaired streams and water bodies.