photo from video recorded in North Kohala courtesy Hawaiʻi DLNR

• The State of Hawaiʻi is currently in the planning and design phase of the Upolu Well Improvements project in North Kohala, which will turn the existing monitoring well into a production well that can provide water for agricultural purposes.
• A community meeting on the well project will take place on Thursday, September 29, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Kohala Village Hub Barn in Hawi, Hawai‘i.

From the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources:

The DLNR Engineering Division is partnering with the Department of Agriculture (HDOA) and Hawai‘i State Senator Lorraine Inouye to host a community meeting on the Upolu Well Improvements project in North Kohala on Hawai‘i Island.

DLNR Engineers and consultants are currently in the planning and design phase of the project, working on improvements to develop the existing Upolu monitoring well to a production well that can provide water for agriculture to the adjacent area of North Kohala.

The general scope of construction will include installing a pump in the well, building a storage tank to store the well water, and fitting pipes to send the pumped well water into the storage tank and out for distribution.

This informational meeting is an opportunity to provide a project overview and solicit community input. The project funding was appropriated by the Hawai‘i State Legislature with the support of Senator Inouye for capital improvements.

The meeting will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 29 at the Kohala Village Hub Barn in Hawi, Hawai‘i.

For individuals requiring special assistance, auxiliary aids, or services, please contact Brandon Kim at brandon.j.kim@hawaii.gov at least four days prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made.