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- calendar_today October 29, 2026
Water Department Responds to Storm Damage in Ka‘u
The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply (DWS) has announced it will waive water service charges for all customers in the Wai‘ohinu-Na‘alehu service area following significant infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Lala. The decision, made by the DWS board on Tuesday, is in response to the severe impact of the storm on water services in this region of Ka‘u.
Scope of the Waiver and Affected Customers
Residents in the Wai‘ohinu-Na‘alehu service area were among the hardest hit by Hurricane Lala and experienced various disruptions to their water supply from August 6 to September 22. Many people faced partial or complete loss of water services during the billing period, with some losing their water meters entirely and others subjected to boil water notices for weeks. The waiver applies to all customers in this area for the most recent bi-monthly billing period.
Challenges Prompting the Waiver
DWS Manager-Chief Engineer Keith Okamoto emphasized the unique water-access challenges encountered by residents in the aftermath of the storm. During the board meeting, he explained that trying to determine individual household water usage or distinguish between types of service interruptions would be unnecessarily complex and resource-intensive. "Some of them never have water, some had their meters washed away, some didn’t have their meters washed away, but we had them under boil water," Okamoto stated. "So, the consideration from last month was that we weren’t providing them the product that we normally provide: safe drinking water."
Financial Implications and Board Discussion
The department estimates a financial loss of approximately $264,922.98 as a result of waiving the charges for the impacted billing period. Water charges in the area include a variable component based on actual water usage as well as a flat “standby” rate for all users. A board member inquired about the possibility of separating out the different types of charges, but Okamoto noted that the department lacks sufficient data to make such distinctions accurately. He also remarked that analyzing usage for each household would cost thousands of dollars in additional manpower.
Support for a Generous and Efficient Approach
Board member Emily Taaroa expressed support for the water bill waiver, agreeing that a broad approach would be fairest given the varying degrees of impact and the difficulty of determining each household’s experience. "I definitely agree to this, put that on the record," Taaroa said. "And I think erring on the side of generosity towards this, you know, this particular area, instead of trying to tease out exactly who lost their meters, this is a quick way to do it." The board voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.
Potential for Emergency Funding
The board also discussed whether some of the department’s financial losses could be offset through emergency response funding. Okamoto stated that the department would investigate opportunities for such recovery.
Source: westhawaiitoday.com.
