Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 5, 1 Mei 1996 — ʻEwa Plains Water Development on Hold [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻEwa Plains Water Development on Hold

At a public hearing on April 15, the State Water Commission

agreed to hold additional public hearings prior to taking aeūon on I water-use permit applications

by the 'Ewa Plains Water Development

Corporation (EPWDC). This is at the request of Charles Herring, a native Hawaiian who owns kuleana land in Waipahu. Herring testifīed at the public hearing on the Iands historical water usage whieh included lo'i kalo, watercress paddies and a koi pond. He noted a significant reduction in the amount of water flowing from an artisian well whieh fed water through his land. The EPWDC applicd for the munieipal use of three wells in Hono'uli'uli whieh would hold 3.36 million gallons per day (mgd) eaeh. Herring is eoncerned that the proposed new wells and increasing water withdrawals from the Waipahu-

Waiawa aquifer will affect his constitutionally protected native Hawaiian water rights. The Native Hawaiian Advisory Council has taken a strong stance against the Commission current policy. The policy allocates water on a first-come firstserve basis without making provisions for the water needs of Hawaiian communities or their rights to exercise and practice Hawaiian traditions. O'ahu Councilman, Steve Holmes, expressed the Water Commission's importance in considering options for public financing of water treatment and reusc infrastructure. This could alleviate demands on dwindling fresh water sources on both sides of the Ko'olau range. The State Water Code Review, proposed Hawaiian Water Rights Administrative Rules, and the Hawai'i Water Plan have failed to resolve concerns regarding native Hawaiian water rights and water reuse. according to NHAC.