Some have leak patrols to help conserve Lihu’e Airport uses non-drinking water to irrigate plants. The Kaua’i County Division of Parks and Recreation cuts back on water when told to do so, and uses less of it once high school
Some have leak patrols to help conserve
Lihu’e Airport uses non-drinking water to irrigate plants.
The Kaua’i County Division of Parks and Recreation cuts back on water when told to do so, and uses less of it once high school football season starts. (More is needed during the summer to get the fields at Hanapepe and Vidinha stadiums ready for fall football).
The Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort and Spa in Po’ipu, the island’s largest water user according to the latest county Department of Water figures, has an aggressive conservation program that includes utilizing employees (maintenance and housekeeping) to be on the lookout for leaks, running sinks and toilets, and other water waste in guest rooms.
These are examples of how major water users on Kaua’i try to conserve the resource.
Controlling the times that different irrigation systems go on and off helps reduce runoff and wasted water, said Jerry Gibson, Hyatt Regency’s general manager. Low-flow devices are used in restrooms, as well.
Po’ipu Bay Golf Course uses recycled wastewater in its irrigation system, so the property under single ownership is able to utilize water twice, Gibson explained.
“We are very fortunate that we have a good water supply, but with the cost of water” going up, the resort needs to at least explore further conservation, he continued.
Some hotels give guests the option of not having bed linens and bath towels changed every day. But, Gibson said, “I have to be very careful balancing the cost of the rooms and what you can actually do and what you can actually ask your guests.”
At Lihu’e Airport, state Department of Transportation employees know they have a limited amount of water available to them. And, because of limits on amounts of water going into storm drains, strict conservation measures are in place, said Marilyn Kali, department spokeswoman.
The airport and Nawiliwili Harbor, also under the supervision of the DOT, are two of the top 10 users of water on Kaua’i, with much of the harbor’s potable water going into cruise ships, Kali said.
“We are very careful about what we use. We limit the washing of vehicles at the airports and the harbors,” she explained. “Our irrigation for our plants is all non-potable water. So we do watch our consumption of water very closely.”
At the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, traditionally among the top 10 water users on the island, sprinkler system times have been shortened, and the base water system is checked for leaks monthly, said Vida Mossman, PMRF spokeswoman.
Finding an area of green grass in the middle of a dry area is one indication of a broken or leaking water line, she said. Reported leaks are promptly repaired.
Users large and small also benefit from the county Department of Water monitoring of usage. A department representative will call a customer or note in bimonthly bills that high water usage may indicate an undetected leak.
Top of the water charts
Here are the top 10 users of water on Kaua’i, by gallons used, for various two-month billing cycles this summer and fall:
1. Hyatt Regency 28,818,000
2. Marriott 24,942,000
3. Embassy Po’ipu 10,568,000
4. Lihu’e Airport 8,182,000
5. Radisson Hotel 7,655,000
6. Kaua’i Coconut 6,740,000
7. PMRF 6,147,000
8. Sheraton Kaua’i 5,556,000
9. Nawiliwili Harbor 5,421,000
10. Pono Kai Resort 4,772,000
Source: Kaua’i County Department of Water
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
