Our most precious resource is going down the tubes.We seem to take the out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach when it comes to disposing of our refuse. Our solid waste mismanagement has manifested a Texas-sized whirlpool of trash between here and California. Gaseous emissions from burning fossil fuels have damaged the atmosphere, causing the global climate change most likely responsible for the queue of hurricanes pummeling the Mainland. And on Maui and elsewhere, we force our dirty water into injection wells where it eventually seeps into the ocean.
Plants countywide treat 15 million gallons of wastewater a day. Approximately 77 percent of it is pumped into injections wells. Although the county incorporated biological nutrient removal systems that reduced nitrogen discharges by 60 percent, wastewater continues to contribute to the harmful algal and bacterial blooms that smother our coral reefs, adversely affecting marine life. Thousands of pounds of this invasive algae wash up on our beaches, and we spend tax dollars for regular cleanups.
Water is stated as one of the top three voter concerns in our candidate questionnaires. Although we acknowledge it as a major problem, we continue to use it carelessly and wastefully, pouring perfectly good drinking water onto ag land, lawns, gardens and golf courses that would actually flourish by using nutrient-rich recycled water.
Currently, Elleair Golf Course in Kihei and two beach parks use recycled water. It’s up to the users to pay for effluent-transmission lines, and that has limited demand for recycled water. How can we get more ag-related businesses to use effluent water?
An alternative would be for the community to cover the costs. We should take responsibility in helping reduce the use of injection wells through increasing recycled water reuse and not depend on individual businesses to foot the bill. The county wastewater division will need significant funding to upgrade existing facilities to ensure adequate distribution of reusable water, and new sewer lines and treatment plant infrastructure must be developed. We need to be willing to pay for this improved system. This time of economic slowdown would be an ideal time for the county to shell out some of our money for some plans, and some action—maybe creating some jobs.
Even if more water resources are developed, we should take advantage of recycled water to save our marine ecosystems. If we, the voters, support these infrastructure improvements now, we will be able to save our purest water for drinking and be better prepared to mitigate the effects of unpredictable climate change in the future.
Your County Council members need to know that we support this investment of our tax dollars. On the Maui Weekly Website (and summarized on pages 12 and 13), find answers from council candidates about how they would solve our water problems. Assess their answers carefully and cast your vote at the Primaries on Saturday, Sept. 20. Our future depends on it.