PUHI — Kauai resident Marge Dente said island families need to take a hard look at their lifestyles in order to create a sustainable future. “We need to do something that encourages reducing consumption,” Dente said at Tuesday’s Kauai General
PUHI — Kauai resident Marge Dente said island families need to take a hard look at their lifestyles in order to create a sustainable future.
“We need to do something that encourages reducing consumption,” Dente said at Tuesday’s Kauai General Plan Update Community Advisory Committee meeting. “Yes. Encourage water collecting. Composting toilets should be legal in this county in all situations at all times.”
Numbers gathered for the draft of the infrastructure assessment prepared by Honolulu-based SSFM International showed that by 2035, Kauai is going to be low on water, wastewater treatment capacity and in solid waste treatment capacity if trends continue as predicted.
Their numbers predict a deficit of almost 2 million gallons per day in wastewater treatment in less than 20 years. The projected deficiency for well water production islandwide is predicted to be about 10 million gallons per day, and the projected landfill deficit in 2035 is predicted to be 2.2 million tons per year.
Sue Kanoho, member of the CAC, reminded those in the meeting that this issue is something that Kauai is facing now, not just some future fear.
“Forget 2035,” Kanoho said. “We’re short now.”
Kurt Bosshard, who is also a committee member, agreed.
“We have areas where we have meter restrictions now,” Bosshard said. “How do we incorporate demand reduction into this plan?”
Luke Evslin, who identified himself as the “resident 30-year-old” on the committee, said he thinks it’s “crazy” to not talk about demand reduction across the board and to consider things like gray water usage.
“We are approaching a head on these issues and it’s leading up to a scary century, especially from the perspective of someone from my generation,” Evslin said. “(For example) it’s disconcerting to see water use has increased 50 percent in 15 years.”
Members of the committee all stressed a needed change of community mindset when it comes to sustainability of everything on the island, and that there should be a major focus on conservation and demand reduction.
They identified rainwater catchment and waste-to-energy treatment.
Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura also floated the idea of a zero waste facility, which is a redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused and no trash is sent to landfills and incinerators.
Yukimura and Dente also both encouraged the requirement on developers to pay for all infrastructure costs associated with developing an area.
Members of the county planning staff will be meeting with members of the CAC today to discuss further questions and talk story about infrastructure as related to the general plan. The meeting is open to the public and will be at 2:30 p.m. at Ha Coffee.
The next CAC meeting is scheduled for Feb. 29, from 2:30 to 5 p.m., at the planning commission room in the Moikeha Building, Room 2A and 2B. The topic is tourism.
