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Water

What is so important about Molokai’s water situation?

Planning for Molokai’s Water Resources

Wednesday, May 25th, 2022

Planning for Molokai’s Water Resources

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A plan is being developed to analyze Molokai’s water resources and project how future water needs will be met. Public mana’o is currently being gathered on this important topic and planners are asking the community to share their voice. 

State of Hawaii Water Code requires each county to develop a Water Use and Development Plan, and Maui County is developing separate plans for Molokai, Lanai, and Maui to better address the unique needs of each island. The goal of Molokai’s plan is to provide a balance between the preservation and management of the island’s water resources, and sustainable ground and surface water use and development to service present users and future generations, according to planners. …

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Water Use Plan Outreach

Wednesday, May 11th, 2022

Townscape News Release 

As a part of our community outreach for the Molokai Island Water Use and Development Plan, Townscape, Inc., consultant to the Maui County Department of Water Supply, will have staff on island to conduct in-person outreach. We would appreciate a chance to talk story with you and to get your manaʻo about your island’s water resources.

We will be setting up a booth pop-up style at a variety of locations during the third week of May. On Wednesday, May 18 we will be at Kualapuʻu Market from 1 to 5 p.m.; Thursday, May 19 at Friendly Market from 9 a.m.…

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Water Use Plan Pop-Ups

Thursday, May 5th, 2022

Townscape News Release

As a part of our community outreach for the Molokai Island Water Use and Development Plan, Townscape, Inc., consultant to the Maui County Department of Water Supply, will have staff on island to conduct in-person outreach. 

We will be setting up a booth pop-up style at a variety of locations during the third week of May. The purpose of the outreach is threefold. We want to reach out to folks who have not been able to participate in the virtual meetings. We will share information about the work that has been done so far on the plan. And we want to better understand community sentiments and values for the island’s water resources.…

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Historic Ruling to Restore Kawela Stream Flow

Thursday, April 28th, 2022

Historic Ruling to Restore Kawela Stream Flow

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

In a landmark decision last week, the state Commission on Water Resource Management unanimously ruled to restore flow levels to Kawela Stream and four others in the area, after they had been almost fully diverted for more than a century. It’s a huge victory for community members who advocated through group Molokai No Ka Heke, which filed a formal request for stream restoration in 2019. 

“After over a hundred years of Kawela waters being diverted across the island and wasted, we finally said enough is enough,” said Molokai No Ka Heke member Walter Ritte.  “The big ranching and ag operations are gone, and we couldn’t just sit and watch this precious water be thrown away.”…

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Discuss Molokai Water Use and Demand

Thursday, February 24th, 2022

Townscape News Release

Learn about Preliminary Water Use and Demand for Molokai’s water systems. At two meetings open to Molokai residents, we will be presenting water use information for public and private water systems on the island, our methodology for projecting future water demand, and sharing our preliminary water demand projections. The Molokai Water Use and Development Plan is being updated by a collaboration between Townscape, Inc., an environmental and community planning company, and the County of Maui Department of Water Supply, Water Resources and Planning Division.

We will offer this presentation at two different meeting times. Our presentation will be the same at each meeting, and open discussion time will follow the presentation.…

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Kalae Water Contaminated Last Week

Thursday, January 20th, 2022

Kalae Water Contaminated Last Week

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Residents of Kalae were advised to boil their water during a 24-hour period last week after possible E. coli contamination was discovered. On Jan. 13, the county Dept. of Water Supply announced samples had been collected to determine the source of the bacteria. The following day, the DWS gave the all clear that samples had come back clear of any trace of E. coli contamination, canceling the boil water advisory. 

Kalae’s water source is Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands wells pumped into their storage tank, the DWS said in the Jan. 13 advisory. Fecal coliforms and E.…

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Molokai Water Use and Development Plan Meetings

Thursday, September 30th, 2021

Molokai Water Use and Development Plan Meetings

Townscape News Release

Please join us for regional meetings to share your manaʻo about the water resources in your region: Central, East and West Molokai. We would like to hear about wahi pana, water needs, critical issues, sensitive areas, and more. 

The meeting for central Molokai will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 6 to 7 p.m. The meeting for east Molokai will be on Tuesday, Oct. 12 from 6 to 7 p.m. and west Molokai will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. All meetings will be held virtually on Zoom. …

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$950K for Na’iwa Subdivision

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Improvements to the Na’iwa Subdivision on Molokai Hawaiian Home Lands are moving forward with the release of an additional $950,000 in capital improvement funds, Sen. Lynn DeCoite announced last week. The funds are allocated for design and engineering services for roadway access, water and electrical service for the subdivision area. 

After years of waiting, the Na’iwa agricultural subdivision in Ho’olehua near the airport, which encompasses 341 acres and 58 lots, is getting infrastructure improvements including access roads, driveways, electrical connections and potable and irrigation water lines. Site inspections and field work for the improvements began in February and March.…

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Emergency Repairs Bring Ho’olehua Water Restrictions

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Ho’olehua water users are asked to conserve water usage after a significant leak was discovered in the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ (DHHL) tank. Emergency repairs were initiated last week Monday to the 200,000-gallon tank.

The department days remediation will include the tank being removed from service while a temporary bypass is installed. This temporary fix will allow the water system to remain in usage while permanent repairs are made.

“Ho‘olehua Water System users are asked to immediately reduce their water usage by 25 to 50 percent during the repair period,” said DHHL in a release last week.…

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Lead in Molokai School Faucets

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

Lead in Molokai School Faucets

By Catherine Cluett Pacol

Water faucets and drinking fountains at schools around the state are being tested for lead content. So far, a faucet at Kilohana School has topped the charts for the highest lead content found in Maui County. Water sources with lead content detected higher than the project action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) are no longer being used while monitoring continues.

About four percent of the water samples collected so far from faucets and drinking fountains at selected Hawaii public schools and child care facilities show elevated concentrations of lead.

The project, launched in February, is a joint effort between the Hawaii State Department of Education (DOE), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Human Services (DHS).…

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