Letter to Editor | What’s the state of our water resources?

||| FROM KARI MCVEIGH |||

I’ve been informed that misinformation is being spread concerning my public comments about future water availability and I would like to provide clarification about my position on this important issue.

I strongly support efforts to understand the state of our limited water resources, so that we can make good decisions as a community.  Doing that does not mean we have to “invade” anyone’s property or privacy. It does mean we need to perform hydrology studies to gain current information.  The last good study of water resources occurred in 2002, 22 years ago.  That study is being updated as we speak — using publicly reported information about well pumping rates from our managed water systems and good estimates of the total recharge rates for our aquifers, given rainfall measurements.

In 2002, the basin assessment study showed that groundwater use was 14 percent of the rechargerate, which is less than the 20 percent recommended guideline for sustainable use.  The County has experienced substantial growth since 2002. We do not know whether we are still using our water at sustainable levels or have exceeded them through population growth. 

The results of the study now underway will tell us the answer, which is crucial to planning future land use in our County.
This should be a concern for all of us who care about securing our islands’ future.