Molokai Irrigation System: Safe for drinking?

Opinion by Walter Ritte

Molokai Ranch has decided not to build its own drinking water delivery line from its Well 17 to Maunaloa and Kaluakoi residents. The pure Well 17 ground water is put into the Molokai Irrigation System (MIS), which uses a large open-air agriculture reservoir. The water then goes into the MIS transmission line past the airport to Mahana. It is then pumped up the hill into another open-air reservoir and treated through a sand filter before being delivered to west end residents.

A dangerous situation now exists, as the open air MIS is now surrounded by Monsanto’s GMO fields. Monsanto does extensive spraying of restricted use pesticides, which find their way into the reservoir. If you follow what is happening on Kauai, and the information of the amounts and types of pesticides being used by the GMO chemical companies, you should be alarmed, if you are drinking water from the MIS.

Is the Department of Agriculture protecting you? Are they testing the MIS water for pesticide contamination from the Monsanto GMO fields? West Molokai residents, who pays the nations highest water rates, drink water coming from an agriculture reservoir (MIS) surrounded by a chemical company farmer. Monsanto uses an inordinate amount of restricted use pesticide because they grow seed unfit for human consumption, which is processed for gas, fed to animals and also used in processed foods.

These chemicals are especial bad for kids.