Aloha IT Committee Members,
Please take the time to throughly Review the past historical information on The Kihei Grit Facility Item. This item (CC 18-167) goes back to my last Budget session (2018) on the Council. This item was very contentious at the budget level due to the fact that it wasn't needed to be done and especially not at the $13 million dollar price tag. I had thorough discussions via my Infrastructure and Environmental Committee (IEM) meetings (can't't find the videos in Legistar). There was a study done that explained that the job only needed to be done every couple of years if that and should only cost a couple hundred thousand dollars at the most. My question then was why was the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) asking for such an astronomical amount of money and the Budget Chair (Riki Hokama) then supporting it? At the same time there were numerous items being purchased by DEM through the same Sole Sourced company (H20 Process) this project was going to be done by. These items added up to millions of dollars were not being used for reasons like being the wrong size or the plant not having the proper voltage to run the equipment, etc. and as far as I know these items are in boxes and still Not being used today. During my IEM Committee meetings DEM brought in their workers from the Kihei Facility to explain that it was for a Safety Issue. Yet, the study explained it was a job done every two years or so, the grit settled in the basin is removed by a Vacuum Truck. The process is not a major production and posed no serious threat to anyone's safety. Therefore to spend multi millions of dollars on a Grit Facility is not a high priority especially in today's world with more pressing issues. The most recent Reports in your IT Committee state that Priorities must be focused on upgrades to the expansion of the R1 Recycled Water use towards the Wailea/Makena and upgrade UV treatment capabilities of the Injected Water down the wells which are at best at R3 treatment in Kihei or heavily Chlorinated at the Kahului Plant. These processes have contributed to adverse Environmental effects on Water Quality in our nearshore waters. Please, spend our money wisely help prevent us, your constituents and taxpayers from going through the horribly expensive mistake of Litigation that the West Maui Wastewater Treatment Plant went through. Do the right thing in protecting our marine ecosystems and environment for the future generations!
Mahalo for your time and consideration,
Elle Cochran
808-281-7709
cochranelle00@gmail.com
Aloha IT Committee Members,
Please take the time to throughly Review the past historical information on The Kihei Grit Facility Item. This item (CC 18-167) goes back to my last Budget session (2018) on the Council. This item was very contentious at the budget level due to the fact that it wasn't needed to be done and especially not at the $13 million dollar price tag. I had thorough discussions via my Infrastructure and Environmental Committee (IEM) meetings (can't't find the videos in Legistar). There was a study done that explained that the job only needed to be done every couple of years if that and should only cost a couple hundred thousand dollars at the most. My question then was why was the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) asking for such an astronomical amount of money and the Budget Chair (Riki Hokama) then supporting it? At the same time there were numerous items being purchased by DEM through the same Sole Sourced company (H20 Process) this project was going to be done by. These items added up to millions of dollars were not being used for reasons like being the wrong size or the plant not having the proper voltage to run the equipment, etc. and as far as I know these items are in boxes and still Not being used today. During my IEM Committee meetings DEM brought in their workers from the Kihei Facility to explain that it was for a Safety Issue. Yet, the study explained it was a job done every two years or so, the grit settled in the basin is removed by a Vacuum Truck. The process is not a major production and posed no serious threat to anyone's safety. Therefore to spend multi millions of dollars on a Grit Facility is not a high priority especially in today's world with more pressing issues. The most recent Reports in your IT Committee state that Priorities must be focused on upgrades to the expansion of the R1 Recycled Water use towards the Wailea/Makena and upgrade UV treatment capabilities of the Injected Water down the wells which are at best at R3 treatment in Kihei or heavily Chlorinated at the Kahului Plant. These processes have contributed to adverse Environmental effects on Water Quality in our nearshore waters. Please, spend our money wisely help prevent us, your constituents and taxpayers from going through the horribly expensive mistake of Litigation that the West Maui Wastewater Treatment Plant went through. Do the right thing in protecting our marine ecosystems and environment for the future generations!
Mahalo for your time and consideration,
Elle Cochran
808-281-7709
cochranelle00@gmail.com