Pupukahi i holomua—unite to move forward

By Joy Gannon, RCAC environmental rural development specialist

Well rig preparing to drill a new well
Photo taken by Joy Gannon

To the Kawela Plantation Homeowner’s Association, the Hawaiian proverb “Pupukahi i holomua,” which has been handed down from generation to generation, has special meaning. Although the saying refers to the teamwork required to paddle a canoe, the association uses it to describe the teamwork it took to save a weakening water system. By uniting its board of directors, general manager, water system operators and technical assistance providers the association now provides sustainable, safe, clean and affordable drinking water to its community.

The Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association experienced water outages, failing wells and a lack of proper sanitation. For many years, the utility had not been properly maintained or operated. Homeowners with no expertise in running a water system oversaw operations. When water stopped flowing to some of the Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association homes, things quickly heated up and phone calls to regulators began.

"Board meetings were heated and there was no plan to understand and deal with the very real problems at hand."

-Jeff Spencer

As a result, they contacted RCAC’s environmental rural development specialists in Hawaii for assistance.

“Due to lack of options on a small island, we hired new system operators who had no experience or knowledge of our specific system. Board meetings were heated and there was no plan to understand and deal with the very real problems at hand. At that time, we elected a new board and they began working with our new operators to figure out what we had and what we needed to do. Trouble was, we were the blind leading the blind and desperately needed a miracle,” said Jeff Spencer, Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association president. “… almost exactly as we were sitting around the conference table wondering where to begin, Joy Gannon walked in our door and had either the answer we were looking for or a resource to get the answer. She and Kevin Baughman immediately began working with our new operator and board.”

RCAC staff and the association members spent four days developing a strategic plan for the water system.

Unlike many states, Hawaii does not require mandatory training for water boards and very few homeowner association boards have knowledge of owning and operating their own water system. Such knowledge is especially important in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. In Hawaii, the RCAC training model is to first conduct training in technical, financial and managerial capacities so that all board members have a fundamental understanding of their water system.

Joy Gannon and Kevin Baughman, RCAC rural development specialists, worked with the association to conduct a capacity analysis of the water system. The analysis consisted of three operational areas that form the foundation of a good water system: technical, managerial and financial capacity. Financially, the water system was strong and the board had initiated improvements to the water system by hiring new water operators. However, there were many more decisions that needed to be made regarding both managerial and technical capacities.

RCAC staff and the association members spent four days developing a strategic plan for the water system. During the strategic planning sessions, they reviewed the water system’s current operations, organizational structure, water rights, source water, water treatment, distribution system, water storage, pumps, monitoring and reporting, and other management and operational matters. The board officially approved the plan on Aug. 24, 2009.

“We absolutely could never have made the progress we have without the help and involvement of RCAC. We would still be spinning our wheels at the starting line. They have saved us a great deal of money and have helped us avoid pitfalls that would have been expensive and time consuming,” said Spencer. “They also introduced us to the Hawaiian water community and created a network that allows us to communicate with other operators and the very governmental agencies that previously had been considered someone to hide from.”

The changes that have occurred at the Kawela Plantation Homeowners' Association water system during the past two-plus years are astounding. The new water system operators, (Wai He Nui Company), which Spencer said have become “respected members of the water community,” made operational changes that ended the utility’s water outages. In 2007, when Wai He Nui began the water system’s operations, it had two grade one distribution system operators. Wai He Nui now boasts one grade four and three grade one distribution system operators, one person certified for backflow and staff that are seeking additional certifications this fall.

Wai He Nui demonstrated its knowledge by placing second at the annual American Water Works Association Hawaii Section Top Ops competition, which tests the everyday know-how of water system operators. An emergency response plan has been developed, adopted and reviewed; unaccounted for water was reduced from a high of 34 percent to nearly 10 percent. On an island with one of the highest electrical costs in the nation, this reduction translates to significant monetary savings and water conservation. The system’s four water reservoirs were inspected for the first time in its history and the board requested proposals for engineering analysis of the water system. Also, the system is currently adding recommended improvements to provide greater system reliability, additional fire flow capacity and electrical expense savings. The general manager is studying to take the grade one distribution system operator exam, was a member of the steering committee that drafted the source water protection plan and has applied for Hawaii’s wellhead protection grant funds to help protect the system’s water source as one of RCAC’s “Trailblazer Communities” in the SMART program (Smart Management and Available Resources and Technology).

“RCAC has not only saved our bacon and our money, but continues to hold our hands and keep us focused and ahead of the curve."

-Jeff Spencer

As the Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association water system moves forward, there will continue to be challenges and opportunities. However, the ability to work closely and openly toward an agreed upon goal is proving to be very beneficial to the community and bodes well for the future. Spencer believes that, “RCAC has not only saved our bacon and our money, but continues to hold our hands and keep us focused and ahead of the curve. I have over 40 years of business experience on an international level and am not easily wowed, but I cannot overstate the value of Joy and Kevin's involvement in our water system. I don't know if it is the RCAC model or the people implementing it, but it works so well that I suggest it be put into practice and supported wherever water systems exist.”

There is a lot of wisdom to be gained from the old saying pupukahi i holomua — unite to move forward.

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