LIHU’E – Heavy rains in recent days have done little to ease drought conditions that have affected Kaua’i for the past three years, the National Weather Service office said. However, in spite of the drought, the island’s drinking water supply
LIHU’E – Heavy rains in recent days have done little to ease drought conditions that have affected Kaua’i for the past three years, the National Weather Service office said.
However, in spite of the drought, the island’s drinking water supply remains abundant enough to meet needs of the island, said Kaua’i County Water Department manager Ernest Lau.
“We are doing fine,” Lau said. “We depend on wells which receive water from underground aquifers, which tend to be drought-resistent.”
Over the past two days, meteorological upper-level and trade wind disturbances triggered heavy rainfall in parts of the island, particularly the North Shore. But the rainfall hasn’t been enough to make a dent in the drought, said Kevin Kodama, senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service Office on Oahu.
“The windward areas have sporadic periods of less rain,” Kodama said. “It is more critical out in West Kaua’i.”
Available data shows below-normal rain for the island during the first six months of this year, Kodama said.
Hanalei, which has received 61.5 inches of rain for any six-month period, registered only 33 inches of rain for the first six months of this year, Kodama said.
For the month of June though, Hanalei had a little more rain than normal for the area in June-5.87 inches, up from the average of 5.3 inches, Kodama said.
Hanapepe in West Kaua’i normally receives 15. 9 inches of rain for any six-month period. Over the past six months, Hanapepe received just about 5 inches of rain, Kodama said.
For the month of June, Hanapepe usually averages about 1 inch of rain. For this past June, Hanapepe had .56 inches of rain.
“In spite of wet conditions in June, the rainfall totals for the year across Kaua’i have remained below normal,” said Bob Koney, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Lihu’e.
The drought is reason enough for people to practice water conservation, Lau said.
The county Water Department, Gay & Robinson, Grove Farm and Princeville Utilities are working with state agencies and other private interests on plans to coordinate drought response and to “solidify ways we can prepare for droughts, Lau said.
A public meeting is scheduled for early August to present the draft plan and to solicit public comment.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@pulitzer.net
