Department of Water Supply responds to well breakdowns in different ways

Two recent West Hawaii well breakdowns highlighted two potential ways the Department of Water Supply is able to respond to such problems.

When the South Kona Keei well broke down in late March, department officials initially told area residents it would take up to nine months to fix the pump. The problem, they said, was the pump company needed to manufacture a new pump meeting the well’s specifications. A contractor later discovered a used pump in Honolulu, which allowed the contractor to repair the well and have it up and running again by May 14.

Other factors played into the longer repair time, DWS spokeswoman Kanani Aton said. The repair parts weighed too much to be flown into Kona International Airport, so the parts were brought to Kawaihae Harbor by barge instead.

Compare that repair time line with that needed for the North Kona Queen Liliuokalani Trust well, which broke down May 21 and was fixed by June 1.

Both pump failures required residents served by the respective wells to restrict their water usage by at least 25 percent.

It’s hard to predict which wells might break down, and keeping a spare pump on hand for every pump isn’t cost-effective, Aton said.

“When we purchase these large motors, they come with a warranty period,” Aton said, adding the department can’t predict whether the motor will break down during or after that period ends. A spare pump, purchased when the pump being used is installed “could freeze up, it could need more repairs.”

The department is working on improving how it evaluates each system, and how it determines for which pumps to keep backup motors, Aton said.