On October 3, Senate Minority Leader Kurt Fevella (District 19 - ‘Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe, ‘Ewa by Gentry, Iroquois Point, portion of ‘Ewa Villages) sent a letter to the president and vice president of Haseko (Ewa), Inc. voicing his support for the Hoakalei Master Plan Update with one exception. He clearly stated for the record his opposition to the use of potable drinking water to fill the Wai Kai Wave surf pool.
The senator highlighted the work done in the Legislature in 2022 to support a change in the definition of public swimming pools, specifically Act 86 which established alternative public health standards for man-made pools that contain a body of water use from other recreational waters. He wrote, “It is logical to assume that the natural brackish water used in an adjacent public swimming lagoon at Hoakalei would be the same body of water used for other Hoakalei recreational facilities like the Wai Kai Wave surf pool. I was disappointed to learn of Haseko's plan to use potable fresh drinking water to fill this surf pool.”
According to Haseko’s plan, 1.7 million gallons of fresh drinkable water would be needed to initially fill the surf pool. Senator Fevella called this “unacceptable and unconscionable, especially in light of Honolulu's ongoing water conservation efforts.” Additionally, 3,260 gallons would be needed daily to replace the water loss, equaling 1.2 million gallons required to refill the pool on an annual basis.
Senator Fevella questioned why alternative water sources, such as natural salt water, brackish water from the adjacent lagoon or desalinated ocean water, had not been considered. He concluded, “Plans to use potable drinking water illustrate Haseko's failure to understand the concept of what is "pono" and disrespects the Hawaiian cultural and spiritual connection to this land and its precious water resources.”
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