(BIVN) – With an increased sense of urgency, Hawaii County officials are reiterating a request for customers in North Kona to reduce water usage due to ongoing repairs of four different wells.

On Wednesday, the Department of Water Supply repeated the message that a mandatory 25% percent water restriction remains in effect.

“Monitoring over the past several months indicates little to no change in water usage,” the water department said. “It is extremely urgent that all customers reduce their water use by 25 percent. To ensure continued water service to all customers in the Kona community, your help is needed. Please do your part,” the water department pleaded.

The county continues to list ways to conserve water in order to reach the elusive 25% goal:

• Stop lawn sprinkling.
• Stop car and boat washing.
• Stop dust control watering.
• Stop re-filling of swimming pools and decorative water features.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or dishes at a time.
• Check faucets and pipes for leaks.
• Serve drinking water only when requested.
• Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Use drinking water wisely.
• Do not let water run unnecessarily. Please shut the water off when you wash or brush your teeth. Use a glass to rinse when brushing your teeth.
• When bathing or showering, use water only to wet and rinse off.
• Do not fill up the bathtub.
• Do not flush toilets unnecessarily.

All agricultural users should keep water usage to a minimum, officials say. “Irrigate only at night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. This measure will reduce water loss due to evaporation, and minimize water system usage during peak demand,” water supply says.

“You can also call the Department of Water Supply at 961-8060 for more information or to report misuse during normal business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.” officials said.

The Department of Water Supply detailed the progress made on the four North Kona well repair projects – Hualālai Deepwell, Keōpū Deepwell, Palani Deepwell, and the Wai’aha Deepwell – in a May 19 series of updates.

A pump for the Hualālai Deepwell has been ordered and estimated delivery is August 2017. The completion date is scheduled for November 26, 2017.

The Keōpū Deepwell completion date is estimated to be November 2017.

The Palani Deepwell pump and motor have been ordered and are expected to arrive in August 2017. Repair is on schedule and completion date is October 30, 2017.

The Wai’aha Deepwell completion date is July 31, 2017.