RCAC Home Page >

TMF capacity development

Environmental Project Highlight

Where: Kawela Plantation, Moloka’i, Hawaii

Problem: Lack of maintenance and repairs in subdivision water system

Solution: RCAC technical assistance

The pictures show before and after conditions of Well #1 in the Kawela Plantation subdivision on the island of Moloka’i. In the before picture, healthy green grass indicates a general lack of maintenance and some serious hidden issues. Areas like this do not grow grass unless they are heavily irrigated — in this case from leaking well packing. Another problem uncovered is rust-created holes in the well base plate, a direct pathway for surface water and creatures to get into the well, which could be a possible immediate sanitary risk to health. (Picture 1 above) Green grass indicates system leaks (Picture 2 above) System improved and leaks eliminated

The before picture illustrates the neglect experienced by this water system before RCAC technical assistance was provided. RCAC circuit riders helped the system owner better understand its responsibilities, take over operations from a contract operator, design and implement proper operation and maintenance procedures, and improve operator knowledge and skills. During a recent sanitary survey, the Hawai’i Department of Health was unable to find a single discrepancy.

RCAC, the western RCAP agency, has created a new tool for measuring the outcomes of its work with small water systems. This capacity assessment tool provides scores for the technical, managerial and financial components of water system capacity. The Kawela Plantation baseline assessment was completed in December 2007, and a progress assessment was done in October 2010. The baseline assessment showed 40 measures of capacity rated as acceptable and 37 rated as unacceptable. The 2010 assessment showed 71 measures rated as acceptable, six rated as solutions in progress, and zero rated as unacceptable.

View a complete list of RCAC Rural Stories…