More than two years after the Hualalai deepwell broke down, the cost of the repair project has increased more than eight-fold, and there is still no water.
A faulty transformer, failed check valves and electrical damages to the pump are among travails in a series of breakdowns and delays that will keep the well offline until at least July. Repairs for the project were originally bid upon in early 2013 by contractor Beylik Drilling and Pump Service, a company that has done frequent work for the County of Hawaii Department of Water Supply and bid $79,223 for the work. Late last month, the governing board of the DWS signed off on a 274-day time extension request and an additional $413,680, the fourth such request it has approved over the past couple of years.
In total, the department expects to the project to cost $672,517.
“It’s one of those where we’re scratching our heads over what is the root cause,” said DWS deputy director Keith Okamoto. “We had it out of the hole several times, we stripped it down; we even had to fly it back to the mainland. We tried to replace different parts that we felt could be the source of the failure.”
The well would normally be pumping about 0.75 million gallons a day to serve areas along Mamalahoa Highway north of the Palani junction, including Kona Palisades, Kona Highlands, Kona Oceanview and Makalei. The DWS Kaloa and Keahuolu wells are currently filling the gap in supply.
The replacement of the well pump was thought to be completed in July 2013, according to a three-page work summary provided by the DWS. However, when the contractor and motor manufacturer tested the well, they found that the electrical transformer servicing the well was overheating and failing.
With this event beyond the control of the contractor and the original scope of the job, the department went back to the board requesting a time extension of 123 days and $94,500 for purchase, shipping and set-up of a replacement transformer. High amps continued to be an issue, however, and when the pump was pulled in April 2014, damage to the thrust bearing seal and check valve were found.
In June 2014, the department was back in front of the board for a second time extension and an additional $53,611 to address damages to the well motor from the high amps. This was followed by an additional $23,581 emergency procurement for miscellaneous parts and shipping that November. Electrical problems continued. In February 2015, the pump was torn down and inspected in Phoenix.
The eventual $672,517 total for the project covers the cost of troubleshooting, and “amid repeated failures of the motor’s thrust bearing, the well repair has involved multiple repair cycles and associated costs for equipment, labor, shipping, pump and motor repairs, testing and replacement materials, including thrust bearings, step-up transformer, junction box, column pipe, discharge head and check valves,” according to DWS.
The department is now replacing essentially every working part in the well.
“This project has been wrought with challenges,” Okamoto said in a follow-up email Tuesday. “As the root cause of failure was never clearly pinpointed, the department decided it was prudent to not only repair the motor but to also replace the major components at this time as well.”