Hawaii First Water

(Kona’s) Waiaha Deepwell’s return to service derailed by malfunction, cable break

Aug 2017, By Max Dible West Hawaii Today mdible@westhawaiitoday.com

KAILUA-KONA — The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply hoped by Monday to return 2 million gallons of water per day back to the short-handed North Kona water system.

After a significant setback over the weekend, those hopes now lie dashed alongside a new pump and motor — both likely damaged from the mishap — more than 1,700 feet underground at the bottom of the Waiaha Deepwell.

There is no timeline for when the well might again be operational.

“I don’t expect it in the near future at all,” said Keith Okamoto, DWS manager and chief engineer. “But it’s too early to tell how many months or whatever (it will be)….

…DWS discussed at the time possible procedures for strategic water disruptions, if such action proved necessary. Kim said it was compliance with the mandatory restriction from some of North Kona’s largest water consumers, as well as the community at large, that allowed everyone’s water to stay on. He said Monday he is hopeful those customers will maintain the same vigilance moving forward.

Repairs to the other three downed wells in the area remain on schedule, Okamoto said, and all are expected to return to service by the end of the year or sooner.

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Bill to ban cesspools statewide awaits Governor’s signature

May 2017: HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) –

A measure heading to the governor’s desk would ban Hawaii’s nearly 90,000 cesspools by the year 2050, a move that some say would slow progress in bolstering the affordable housing inventory.

The bill comes a year after Gov. David Ige banned newly-constructed cesspools in the state.

“Cesspools, on average, release 55 million gallons of untreated sewage a day into streams, oceans and nearby waterways,” said Marti Townsend, director of Sierra Club of Hawaii. “That’s an extreme amount of untreated raw sewage that people end up swimming in, fishing from and maybe even drinking.”

Health officials say untreated sewage can be linked to skin infections and illnesses like Leptospirosis and Hepatitis A.

“Public health and safety is on the line,” said state Rep. Chris Lee. “We want clean waters, we want clean beaches, and this is a step in that direction.”

The state is offering a $10,000 tax credit to homeowners who convert to septic tanks, aerobic systems, or sewer lines.

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As sea level rises, much of Honolulu and Waikiki vulnerable to groundwater inundation

(Apr 2017) New research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa reveals a large part of the the heavily urbanized area of Honolulu and Waikīkī is at risk of groundwater inundation—flooding that occurs as groundwater is lifted above the ground surface due to sea level rise. Shellie Habel, lead author of the study and doctoral student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), and colleagues developed a computer model that combines ground elevation, groundwater location, monitoring data, estimates of tidal influence and numerical groundwater-flow modeling to simulate future flood scenarios in the urban core as sea level rises three feet, as is projected for this century under certain climate change scenarios.

“This flooding will threaten $5 billion of taxable real estate; flood nearly 30 miles of roadway; and impact pedestrians, commercial and recreation activities, tourism, transportation and infrastructure,” said Habel. “The flooding will occur regardless of seawall construction, and thus will require innovative planning and intensive engineering efforts to accommodate standing water in the streets.”

Current problems with inundation

construction trench in Waikiki

This construction trench in Waikīkī shows that the water table is nearly at the ground surface at high tide. (credit: UH Mānoa Coastal Geology Group)

Simulations of groundwater inundation chart

Simulations of groundwater inundation (blue) and narrow unsaturated space (yellow) today and considering sea level rise of approximately 1, 2 and 3 ft during an average spring (monthly maximum) tide stage. (credit: UH Mānoa Coastal Geology Group)

Surprisingly, the team of researchers also discovered 86 percent of active cesspools in the study area are likely currently inundated by groundwater. This suggests that cesspool effluent is now entering coastal groundwater and coastal environments in the study area. Sea level rise of approximately three feet would fully inundate 39 cesspools, introducing effluent at the ground surface where people work and live. This presents a serious health concern that will become progressively more serious as contaminated waters begin breaching the ground surface.

They also found that the water table is close to the ground surface—within two feet at high tide—in many places. This narrow unsaturated space means that groundwater inundation will become a serious concern well before the end of the century. When it rains and infiltration fills this space, it is a problem already.

“Waikīkī, the gateway of the state’s tourism industry, currently has such narrow unsaturated space that many construction projects working below the ground surface have to dewater the excavation before construction can begin,” said Habel.

Adaptation to future sea level rise

“Our findings suggest that coastal communities in Hawaiʻi and globally are exposed to complex groundwater flooding hazards associated with sea level rise in addition to the typical concerns of coastal erosion and wave overtopping,” said Chip Fletcher, professor of geology and geophysics, associate dean of SOEST and principal investigator on the study. “Groundwater inundation will require entirely unique adaptation methods if we are to continue to live in and develop the coastal zone. Coastal planners and community stakeholders will need to work with architects, engineers, geologists, ecologists, economists, hydrologists and other innovative thinkers in order to manage these problems.”

This study identified particular locations and infrastructure that will be vulnerable to future flooding and is a crucial first step towards addressing future challenges. The team of researchers hope to use this methodology to identify future flooding and at risk infrastructure in other locations, as well as assist in developing adaptation efforts among vulnerable coastal communities.

This work was funded by Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, UH Sea Grant and and HKL Castle Foundation.

Hawaii decision on water use could shutter billionaire’s Lanai golf course

February 2017; Shimogawa: Hawaii Business News: When the billionaire co-founder of Oracle Corp., Larry Ellison, purchased the majority of the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million in 2012, there was at least one major unresolved issue on the Pineapple Island — the water used at the Manele Golf Course near the Four Seasons Resort Lanai.

Nearly five years later, the issue is still unresolved. But this year, a final decision could be made by the Hawaii Land Use Commission, which could ultimately change the land classification of the Manele Golf Course back to rural and agricultural districts from urban districts — and effectively shut down the course.

 Manele Golf Course is the only remaining major course on the island as the other course — Koele — which had been closed for renovations, will not reopen, as first reported by Pacific Business News. Ellison also has big plans for his Manele Golf Course, beyond just golf. The tech titan plans to hold up to 40 special events hosting hundreds of guests each year on two locations at Manele, as first reported by PBN.

In that year, the state Land Use Commission approved the reclassification of nearly 150 acres of land for the development of the 18-hole golf course. A condition of that ruling noted that Lanai Resorts, the entity that owned the course, could not use the potable water from the high-level groundwater aquifer for the golf course irrigation use. The ruling also said that the company will instead need to use only alternative non-potable sources of water such as brackish water and reclaimed sewage effluent for golf course irrigation requirements.

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Deep dive into the (Kona) aquifer dispute

February:

By Cameron Miculka West Hawaii Today cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com

HONOKOHAU — Centuries ago, those who lived here knew how special this place was.

It’s here, at what is now Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, that the water flows beneath the ground and out to the bay, mixing with the saltwater to create an environment perfect for the ‘ama‘ama, or mullet, whose predators can’t tolerate the lower salinity.

The ancient Hawaiians knew this, and they took advantage of the fish’s movements by constructing a massive wall to create the Kaloko Fishpond.

By using channels and gates in the wall that controlled the fish’s entrances and exits, they were able to create a sustainable source of food for themselves.

Today, the mullet, awa and papio still swim back and forth through the channels built into the ancient wall, currently being reconstructed by park masons.

Nearby, seemingly lifeless anchialine pools teem with opae ula, the tiny red shrimp that make their homes in the brackish pools.

But park rangers here fear that increased use of the island’s limited freshwater resources at current and proposed wells, combined with decreased rainfall and rising sea levels, could upset the delicate ecosystem that relies on the balance of fresh and salt water.

As a result, they’re asking the state Commission on Water Resource Management to step in and designate the Keauhou Aquifer, which covers a vast region from Makalawena Beach to north of Kealakekua Bay, a water management area.

Designation would give the Park Service a chance to weigh in on the future of water withdrawals in the area.

That would include for any applications by developers to build new wells mauka of the park’s boundary. By having a chance to challenge permits, park staff could officially voice their concerns about potential impacts those wells could have on the park’s ecosystems.

Not everyone is on board with the proposal though.

Opponents to designating the aquifer say the National Park Service hasn’t shown any evidence that there’s a problem. Commission staff have already filed a report recommending against the designation, instead offering several alternative recommendations.

A hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday (14 Feb) at the West Hawaii Civic Center.

See the rest of the article here

Upcoming AWWA and Hawaii Water Environment Association Conference This Week

February: The American Water Works Association Hawai‘i Section and the Hawai‘i Water Environment Association are proud to announce the fourth annual joint conference now known as the Pacific Water Conference at the Hawai‘i Convention Center from February 14 – 16, 2017.  Our joint conference committee is hard at work to bring you an exciting, fun, and educational conference.

The Pre-Conference Workshop kicks things off on Tuesday, February 14. The Conference officially opens on Wednesday, February 15 and lasts through Thursday, February 16.  Join us at the Convention Center Kamehameha Exhibit Hall I to cheer on this year’s operator competitions featuring HWEA’s Operations Challenge and AWWA’s Pipe Tapping and Top Ops events.  Remember to check out the exhibitors showcasing the newest and latest products in the industry.  With five technical session tracks to choose from, there’s sure to be one that piques your interest.   The conference golf tournament will be held on Friday, February 17 at the Ala Wai Golf Course, and the community service event will take place on Saturday, February 18.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the Conference!

Aloha,

Puna Kaneakua | Susan Mukai | Emily Dong pacificwatercon@gmail.com 2017 Conference Chairs

Link to site

 

Oahu’s Ala Wai Watershed Student Design Challenge

December: (Editor Kobayashi Note:  In case you missed it, the UH announced this competition for students at the Conservation Congress to deal with the continuing problems of the strategic Ala Wai Canal In Honolulu.  Here is the timetable for 2017, use the link to the challenge website and good luck!!)

The Ala Wai Watershed Student Design Challenge, was announced by the University of Hawai‘i at the U.S.-hosted 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress. The Challenge looks to unlock student innovation and creativity to craft solutions that address critical urban watershed and island issues, specifically, restoring watershed ecologies and exploring culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

The University of Hawai’i seek ideas from the brightest minds of our youth and students to help advance the collective goals and action agenda of the Ala Wai Watershed Partnership (AWWP) (e.g., stream and ecosystem restoration, green stormwater infrastructure, water capture and reuse, sediment control, flood mitigation, contemporary urban ahupua’a, Ala Wai as a destination, education and engagement with community/youth, coalition of teams with local participation, etc.)

Here is a link to the challenge website…

TIMELINE
Sept 5th, 2016 – Design competition announced @ IUCN-WCC
Sept – Dec 2016 – Outreach to students
Jan 9th, 2017 – Design Challenge opens
Jan 9th-31st, 2017 – Registration period
March 17th, 2017  – Design entries close
May 2017 – Exhibition of design entries at various locations
Week of June 25th, 2017 – Winners announced at World Youth Congress 2017

UH researchers link quality of coastal groundwater with reef

December;

(Honolulu, HI) Land-use practices on tropical oceanic islands can have large impacts on reef ecosystems, even in the absence of rivers and streams. Land-based pollutants, such as fertilizers and chemicals in wastewater, infiltrate into the groundwaters beneath land and eventually exit into nearshore ecosystems as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD)—seeping into the coastal zone beneath the ocean’s surface. In a study published recently in PLOS ONE, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) scientists used a combination of field experiments and chemical analysis of water and algae to show that the quality of coastal groundwater plays a major role in determining the health of nearshore ecosystems in Hawai‘i.

Various sources of pollution, such as agriculture or sewage treatment facilities, have identifiable chemical signatures, particularly the isotopes of nitrogen in the nutrients they contain. This study assessed groundwater quality, coastal water quality, and reef health across six different bays on Maui with various potential sources of pollution. By comparing the nitrogen isotope signature of algae tissues and potential pollution, the research group traced nutrients in the algae back to their land-based sources.

This study is the first to show the extent of the impact of wastewater injection wells at Kahului Wastewater Reclamation Facility, Maui’s highest-volume sewage treatment plant, on Kahului Bay. In addition to relatively high nutrient levels in marine surface waters in Kahului Bay, shallow areas were almost entirely dominated by a thick fleshy mat of colonial zoanthids, a phenomenon not reported anywhere else in the state. A concurrent companion study to this work, led by James Bishop at the UHM Department of Geology and Geophysics, found that water collected from beach sands, which represents coastal groundwater, next to the Kahului Wastewater Reclamation Facility contained up to 75 percent treated wastewater—highlighting the impact of wastewater in this area.

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The NSF EPSCoR ‘Ike Wai project brings science, education and community together to ensure Hawai’i’s freshwater future

(November Editor Note:  This is the first note from the UH ‘Ike Wai project funded by the National Science Foundation in May 2016.  This article begins to lay out what UH plans to fund with the $20 million grant.  We look forward to  better understanding of our islands’ aquifers to begin the process of conserving our vital freshwater resources.)

This is the first in a series of articles about the ‘Ike Wai project by Burt Lum.   Each monthly article will explore a different aspect of the project and an ongoing story of ‘Ike Wai.   Burt is getting the word out about ‘Ike Wai on social media.  Follow us on facebook and instagram @hawaiiepscor.  This is a link to the ‘Ike Wai website.

 

By Burt Lum

Growing up in Hawai‘i, I was amazed to learn that much of our freshwater comes from aquifers deep underground. Our volcanic geology makes for an intricate and complex catchment system. The journey starts as the trade winds blow and clouds are forced up into the cooler atmosphere by high mountain ranges where their moisture begins to condense. This water falls on the islands in the form of rain and misty clouds before slowly percolating through the island’s subsurface geology, finally helping to recharge the island’s freshwater aquifers. This freshwater becomes Hawai‘i’s primary source of drinking water.

In the months, and years, to come, I will have the distinct honor of helping tell this age old story of water through the lens of some 21st century science and technology. Back in May 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the University of Hawai‘i a 5-year, $20M grant to study the freshwater aquifer in recognition of this critical natural resource.

The grant is part of the NSF EPSCoR program or Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research whose mission is to to advance excellence in science and engineering research and education. One of its primary goals is “to advance science and engineering capabilities in EPSCoR jurisdictions for discovery, innovation and overall knowledge-based prosperity.”

‘Ike Wai, the name embraced by the Hawai‘i EPSCoR team, is derived from the Hawaiian word for knowledge (‘ike) and freshwater (wai) or the Knowledge of Water.

The water cycle of the islands seems straightforward, but once the water moves from the surface to the subsurface its path to the aquifer can be complex. Subsurface geologic structures are a complex network of porous volcanic rock, impervious caprock and vertical dikes that restrict the flow of water. The existence of these structures are inferred by the variability of water elevation in wells however not much is known about the spatial boundaries of these structures and how they affect the flow of groundwater. Even less is known about how water may move from one aquifer to another in response to high rainfall events or increased pumping of wells for our local water supply. For example the Pearl Harbor Aquifer services 60% of the population of Oahu and is threatened by the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. Adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Aquifer is the Honolulu Aquifer. Little is known how these two aquifers affect each other and whether water flows from one aquifer to another.

Through the ‘Ike Wai project, scientists will apply the field sensor data and the latest geophysical tools to help refine existing models of these aquifers, but that is just the start.

The two study areas include the Pearl Harbor Aquifer on O‘ahu and the Hualalai Aquifer on Hawai‘i Island. The project consists of a team of scientists, economists, educators as well as stakeholders in the community that will come together as a multidisciplinary collaboration between members from the University of Hawai‘i School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Hawai‘i Institute for Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP), Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Dept. of Information and Computer Science and the Water Resources Research Center.

According to Gwen Jacobs, Principal Investigator for the project, “The study of the freshwater aquifer is critically important for Hawai‘i. With this project we will take a collaborative approach for our four broad goals, science & research, community engagement, decision support and education & workforce development.”

One of the goals is to map geologic structures and produce 3D models of the groundwater distribution of the aquifer.  The plan involves the deployment of a network of sensors that will provide real time monitoring of water conditions in designated wells. Sensors will monitor temperature, salinity, organics, turbidity and flow-rate. These data will form the basis for a “big picture view” of aquifer analysis. With an understanding of the physical characteristics of adjoining aquifers and the modeling of water flow between and through the aquifer, decision makers will be equipped with better tools to manage the long term sustainability of Hawai‘i’s freshwater resources.

The resulting decision support platform will house the data and analysis from this project as well as the visualization tools to aid community stakeholders in a collaborative environment. Key to this capability are the advanced technologies including the University of Hawai‘i’s high performance computing resources, the Laboratory for Advanced Visualizations and Applications (LAVA) and the CyberCANOE – the Cyber-Infrastructure Enabled Collaborative Analysis Navigation and Observation Environment.

A key to the success of the ‘Ike Wai project is building active collaborations with other agencies and organizations that study Hawai‘i’s freshwater. Work to understand Hawai‘i’s freshwater has been going on for decades and the aim with ‘Ike Wai is to engage stakeholders to identify the gaps and provide new techniques and models to help fill those gaps. This will require a close working relationship at the Federal level with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). At the State and County level the team is working with the Hawai‘i Department of Health, Commission on Water Resource Management (Dept of Land and Natural Resources), Honolulu Board of Water Supply and the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply.

While this research is funded for 5 years, the long lasting impact of ‘Ike Wai will come through education and workforce development. As a result of this 5-year project both UH Mānoa and UH Hilo will develop new programs and add new faculty with the goal of creating the next generation of water-workforce including geologists, hydrologists, computer specialists and modelers, and natural resource economists and managers. UH Mānoa has plans to create three tenure-track faculty positions: a hydro-geophysicist, within the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP), a hydro-engineer, with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a water economist, within the Social Sciences Research Institute.

At UH Hilo, the EPSCoR project will help to establish a new Data Science program with four new tenure-track faculty positions in Computer Science, Mathematics, Social Science and Natural Science. This will lead to new degree programs in Data Science and Data Analytics.

Understanding Hawai‘i’s freshwater resource will benefit all the people in the State but the investment in this project will go a long way towards creating a pathway for science and research that can be applied beyond Hawai‘i to other Pacific Island nations. It also aims to develop a continuous flow of our next generation professionals, the knowledge base and tools for future decision making.

“I’m excited that we can build a software platform and a data repository that is not only in use by researchers at UH but also becomes a knowledge resource for our agency partners,” said Jacobs. “When we look back on this project I’d like to say we’ve seeded a new research area that is the catalyst to fund more research opportunities in this area to further benefit Hawai‘i and the Pacific.”

There are many facets to this complex story from big data visualizations, scientific and community collaborations to understanding the native Hawaiian cultural knowledge of freshwater. You will find a regular monthly posting of articles here on the Hawaii EPSCoR website and you can also follow this journey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please join me as we explore ‘Ike Wai the Knowledge of Water.

Study finds injection wells, agriculture harming Maui bays

November 2016;

HONOLULU (AP) – A team of University of Hawaii scientists has completed a study of nearshore ecosystems across Maui that shows the harmful impacts of discharged treated wastewater.

The findings were published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE earlier this month.

The scientists analyzed water and algae at six locations around Maui, including Kahului Bay, which is adjacent to Maui’s highest-volume sewage treatment plant. A study of the bay found high nutrient levels in marine surface waters near the Kahului Wastewater Reclamation Facility and a “thick, fleshy mat” of colonial zoanthids, a coral-like organism.

For the rest of the article see this…