The Department of Water Supply is reminding Upcountry customers that a 5 percent voluntary cutback remains in effect in light of the current dry weather conditions and a higher than normal demand for water.
The total average demand for the Upcountry water system for the week was 8.4 million gallons a day (mgd), the water department reported in a news release Friday. Normally, average demand is 7.1 mgd. The amounts of water processed at most Upcountry treatment plants are up, also indicating increased demand.
As far as supply, the Wailoa Ditch is running at only 14 percent of capacity, the 100 million gallon Kahakapao Reservoirs were half full and the 0.8 mgd Kaupakalua Well was down for repairs, the department said.
"If the department cannot maintain reservoir levels, customers may be required to cut back water usage by 10 percent," the department said.
Jacky Takakura, department administrative officer, said Friday that there are some "old" provisions to trigger mandatory conservation measures. But with changes to the Upcountry water system, including the addition of wells, the department is working on "new benchmarks," she said.
"A work in progress," Takakura explained.
