HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and NOAA Fisheries remind the community that sea turtles remain protected under State and Federal laws. In Hawai‘i, sea turtles are protected by the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (Chapter 195D) and Hawai‘i Administrative Rules (13-124). Although Federal and State wildlife conservation laws differ in some respects, all prohibit actions that can harm, injure, kill, or otherwise disturb sea turtles without a permit.

The two types of sea turtles most frequently observed in Hawai‘i nearshore waters are the green and hawksbill sea turtle. The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is listed as threatened and the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Three other listed species – loggerhead, leatherback, and olive ridley sea turtles – generally inhabit offshore environments in the region and are very rarely seen in Hawai‘i’s coastal waters.

“We want to remind the community that all sea turtles are still protected, and that both State and Federal consequences apply to anyone harming a green sea turtle,” said DLNR Chairperson William J. Aila, Jr. The public is urged to act responsibly and not attempt to touch, disturb, feed, pursue, ride, harass, harm, or otherwise injure these animals.

On February 16, 2012, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (jointly referred to as the Services) received a petition to classify the Hawai‘i population of green sea turtle as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) and evaluate that population for de-listing under the ESA. The contents of this petition are currently being reviewed to determine if the petition warrants further consideration. If so, a scientific review of the status of the species will be initiated.

While any person or organization may submit a petition to list or de-list a species, this action alone does not affect the legal status of that species. If the Services propose any changes to the listing status of green sea turtles in the future, public comments will be requested and considered before any final decisions about de-listing are made.

“Even though a petition for de-listing was filed, green sea turtles in Hawai‘i remain protected under State and Federal laws,” said Aila.

Sea turtles across the U.S. face threats including, but not limited to, illegal harvest, destruction and alteration of nesting and feeding areas, incidental capture in commercial and recreational fisheries, entanglement in and ingestion of marine debris, disease, vessel strikes, and climate change. To effectively address all threats to sea turtles, the Services have developed recovery plans to direct research and management efforts for each sea turtle species. In Hawai‘i, on-going sea turtle recovery activities include efforts to reduce and eliminate direct harvest of, and interactions with, sea turtles in nearshore and commercial fisheries; eliminate the threat of fibropapilloma (a tumor disease that can be harmful to sea turtles); protect important nesting and feeding areas; and reduce impacts from boat strikes, disturbance, and marine debris.

To report a sea turtle in distress, please call (808) 983-5730 or visit NOAA’s sea turtle stranding website at: http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/psd/mtrp/turtle_contact.php

For more information on the DLNR visit www.hawaii.gov/dlnr

For more information on NOAA visit http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/

For more information on the USFWS visit http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/teslist.html

# # #

For more information, news media may contact:

NOAA

Wende Goo

Communications Officer

Phone: (808) 721-4098

DLNR

Deborah Ward

DLNR Public Information Specialist

Phone: (808) 587-0320

USFWS

Ken Foote

Information and Education Specialist

Phone: (808) 792-9535

via Michelle Gorham Jones

Information and Education Coordinator

Department of Land and Natural Resources

Division of Forestry and Wildlife

1151 Punchbowl Street Rm. 325

Honolulu, HI 96813

phone: 808.587.4188

fax: 808.587.0160

www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw

July 31-August 2, 2012

2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the annual Hawai‘i Conservation Conference (HCC) and 20 years since the Rio Earth Summit. The 20th annual conference is an opportunity to reflect on the past two decades of island conservation in Hawai‘i and wider Pacific Islands. Activities will include a presentation of a “20th Anniversary HCC Video” reflecting on the successes and memories of the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance (formerly the Secretariat for Conservation Biology); daily thought provoking keynote speakers; a special banner to memorialize our collective genealogy; public art event; training opportunities; and more. Join us in celebrating HCC’s 20th anniversary!

Click here for REGISTRATION INFORMATION!
Click here for EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION!

Click here for SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION!

Keynote Speakers

Tuesday, July 31 - Opening Plenary Session

Tundi Agardy, PhD

Executive Director, Sound Seas

Tundi Agardy is an internationally renowned expert in biodiversity conservation, with extensive field and policy experience in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, North America and the Pacific. She currently heads Sound Seas, an independent policy group based in the Washington, DC area, specializing in biodiversity conservation, coastal planning and assessment, marine protected areas, and fisheries management... Read Full Bio...

Tuesday, July 31 - Opening Plenary Session

Bill Raynor

Director, Marine Conservation Programs, Asia-Pacific Region, The Nature Conservancy

Bill is a professionally trained agroforester who has lived and worked in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, for 25 years. Since joining the Conservancy in 1992, Bill has earned the reputation as a leader in innovative, community-based conservation and one of the best practitioners in the field. He is a recognized expert on Pohnpei's upland forest and has an in-depth knowledge of the environmental, political, cultural, and economic context of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. Bill is fluent in Pohnpeian and the "high language" reserved for high chiefs. As the former Director of the Conservancy's Micronesia Program, Bill focused on helping to develop national biodiversity conservation strategies with Micronesian political entities, including the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and Guam. He now serves as the Director of Conservation Programs for the entire Asia-Pacific Region.

Wednesday, August 1 - Plenary Session

Alan Holt

Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Global Conservation

Alan Holt is the Environment Program director for the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, a Minnesota-based funder engaging in conservation and other international and domestic issues. Prior to joining the Foundation, Alan enjoyed a long career with The Nature Conservancy, helping to establish the organization’s Hawai‘i program from 1982 to 1998 and then working in the western U.S., Canada and internationally for several years. Alan helped launch what would become the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance and its annual conference, and was among those who organized several of the invasive species and watershed partnerships that have grown across the islands today.

Thursday, August 2 - Awards Luncheon Speaker

Sheila Conant

Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Hawai`i; 2002 HCA Distinguished Service Awardee

Sheila Conant’s career in ecology and conservation in Hawai‘i has spanned over 40 years. Her research focus is on Hawaiian birds and her list of publications on their ecology, evolution, conservation and management is astounding. In addition, her tireless community service, public lectures, assistance in creating GK-12 curriculum and other educational materials, as well as her dedicated work with her graduate students, has influenced many aspects of conservation throughout the state. Sheila has also played a major hand in landing sizable grants and contracts to further numerous conservation efforts here. Her list of awards and accomplishments is impressive and extensive, as is her list of inspired and successful students. Sheila served as the Chair of the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Specialization at the University of Hawai‘i from 1999-2001, and as Chair of the Department of Zoology.

Community Rallies for Recover of the Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal as Latest Suspicious Death Occurs

Public Invited to Call Reward Tip Line at 1-855-DLNR-TIP

Reward total now at $40,000

HONOLULU (April 24, 2012) — The Department of Land and Natural Resources and NOAA Fisheries announced this week that a three-year old male monk seal was found dead Sunday on a northeast Kaua‘i beach. The death has been classified as “suspicious.” The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. It is the latest in a number of suspicious monk seal deaths that began in November 2011 on Moloka`i.

Spurred on by the previous deaths, community groups have rallied in recent months to increase education about the plight of the Hawaiian monk seal, Hawai‘i’s official state marine mammal, and to help promote co-existence with this critical endangered species in Hawaiian waters. A coalition of nonprofit organizations, identified as the Aloha Kanaloa Coalition, recently developed a public service announcement to help promote their message of nonviolence and co-existence. “Traditional Hawaiian values taught us the importance of sharing and living together sustainability; we simply want people to remember and embrace our traditional values when it comes to how we treat and behave towards the monk seals,” explained Trisha Kehaulani Watson, a member of the Coalition.

DLNR supports this group’s efforts. “Monk seals are a vital part of Hawai‘i’s marine and cultural environment,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR chairperson. “We must all come together to share the message that harm to seals is unacceptable and that humans and seals must learn to co-exist peacefully together. Only then can there be hope for the future of the monk seal, including a new pup just born this week on Kaua‘i. That message is featured in a new public service announcement now being aired on local television stations and online at http://www.alohakanaloacoalition.org/

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust announced continued support of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement’s work to combat poaching and designated wildlife-related crimes by sponsoring a toll-free, confidential reward tip line, 1-855-DLNR-TIP.

The tip line allows individuals statewide to confidentially report information about poaching crimes to law enforcement.

The first case under the new reward program and tip line was announced in January and involved three monk seal deaths on Moloka‘i. A fourth monk seal was later found dead on Kaua‘i. Necropsies performed on three of the four seals confirmed the deaths were suspicious. These cases, along with the newest reported death on Kaua‘i, remain under investigation. Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call the confidential reward tip line.

The HSUS, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and the Center for Biological Diversity have again posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the monk seal deaths. Earlier standing contributions from these groups, the Marine Conservation Institute and a generous anonymous local donor bring the reward total from $30,000 to $40,000, or $10,000 per confirmed incident.

“We thank the HSUS for their continued sponsorship of this program, which helps protect Hawaii’s precious wildlife,” said Randy Awo, DOCARE chief.

# # #

Monk Seal Facts:

Hawaiian monk seals are one of the world’s most endangered animals, with population estimates less than 1,100. Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to Hawai‘i and therefore found nowhere else in the world.

In June 2010, the Legislature passed Act 165, specifically to increase penalties for taking (which is defined to include harassing or killing) a monk seal. It’s a Class C felony (up to 5 years imprisonment). Someone convicted under this law could face a maximum fine of $50,000. Monk seals are also protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it a crime to kill or harm a Hawaiian monk seal.

Media Contacts:
Deborah Ward, State of Hawaii DLNR 808-587-0320 Deborah.L.Ward@hawaii.gov
Trisha Kehaulani Watson, Aloha Kanaloa Coalition 808-392-1617 info@nameahulu.org
Stephanie Twining, Humane Society of the United States 301-258-1491 stwining@humanesociety.org

"Let's RAP"

SURFRIDER'S RISE ABOVE PLASTICS CAMPAIGN

Stuart H. Coleman

Hawai‘i Coordinator, Surfrider Foundation

Most plastic pollution at sea starts out on land as litter on beaches, streets and sidewalks. Rain or overwatering flushes that litter through a storm drain system or directly to creeks, streams and rivers that lead to the ocean. After plastics enter the marine environment they slowly photodegrade into smaller pieces that marine life can mistake for food, sometimes with fatal results. Ocean gyres concentrate plastic pollution in five main areas of the world’s ocean and various research groups are bringing back alarming data documenting plastics impacts.

Simple local actions can help make an impact to solve this global issue. Join us as Stuart Coleman shares a brief overview on Surfrider's Rise Above Plastics campaign and the environmental, economic and human health costs of our dependence on plastics, esp. single-use bottles, bags, cups and containers.

Originally from Charleston, S.C., Stuart Coleman moved to Hawaii to teach, write and surf. He has taught literature, creative writing and leadership studies at Punahou and Iolani Schools, the University of Hawaii and the East-West Center. Coleman has written articles for Men's Journal, Sierra and Hawaii Magazine and is the author of two books, Eddie Would Go and Fierce Heart. He was the Writer in Residence at St. Alban's School and a recipient of the Cades Award for Literature. After volunteering for the Surfrider Foundation for eight years, he was hired as the organization's first Hawaii Coordinator in 2009 and has enjoyed working such dedicated volunteers and environmental activists.

DLNR Chair William Aila Participates in Hawaii-Palau Learning Exchange

Honolulu, HI—A Hawai‘i delegation returned from Palau this past weekend inspired by community-led conservation efforts that are restoring the nation’s marine resources.

“Communities in Palau have merged culture, fisher knowledge, science and government to replenish their fish and marine resources,” said William Aila, director of the Hawai‘i State Department of Land and Natural Resources. “One of the most inspiring aspects of the Palau story is that fishermen and local communities worked together to protect their resources, it was not imposed by government."

Aila was among a group of 20 Hawai‘i delegates who traveled to Palau from communities within the state that are working to restore natural resources and revive Hawaiian culture. The group included residents from O‘ahu, Maui, Lana‘i and Hawai‘i Island, as well as American Samoa. The trip was part of a learning exchange sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, which is working with communities to restore and protect marine resources in both Hawai‘i and Palau.

The Republic of Palau is a Pacific archipelago of 340 islands located 600 miles east of the Philippines. Its waters are among the richest marine areas in the world, containing more than 700 coral species and nearly 1,300 varieties of reef fish. The area has been named one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World” by marine scientists and divers.

According to Noah Idechong, founder of the Palau Conservation Society and Speaker of the Palau House of Delegates, conservation is woven into the fabric of traditional and modern Palauan society. In the past, if a resource became scarce due to climatic changes or overharvesting, a moratorium, or bul, was declared by village chiefs. Local chiefs used bul to ban fishing during key spawning and feeding seasons, allowing fish to reproduce and replenish the waters. Following World War II, Palau’s bul system faded.

In recent decades, Palau has used its extraordinary marine resources to support a growing economy. Like other developing countries, however, it realized that economic growth—especially growth based on commercial fishing and tourism—was pushing its fisheries beyond sustainable levels. Compounding the problem, a 1998 El Nino bleaching event devastated Palau’s corals, further reducing fish populations.

In response, communities in two states, Kayangel and Ngerechlong, revived the traditional bul and had tremendous success in rebuilding coral and fish populations. “When other communities saw that success, they wanted to do the same thing,” said Idechong.

Today, the revival of the bul system has become the basis of a network of more than 20 protected areas. By law, communities within these protected areas look first to local leaders and their traditional guidance, and then to scientists, to identify vulnerable ecosystems and institute the appropriate protection.

“In Palau, the movement to protect their marine resources came from the bottom up, not the top down,” Aila noted. “The bul and legislation complement one another—and they came at the request of the communities for support of their efforts.”

While in Palau, the Hawai‘i delegation learned that dive operators there pay a user fee that helps fund management and enforcement. “Fishers have become active participants in enforcement,” said Manuel Mejia, The Nature Conservancy’s community-based marine program manager for Hawai‘i. “We met fishermen who used to be poachers and are now rangers, helping to enforce the laws that protect their resources.”

Vern Yamanaka of the Ka`ūpūlehu Marine Life Advisory Committee (KMLAC) on Hawai`i Island noted that while conservation benefits both biodiversity and tourism in Palau, those are not the primary benefits. “In Palau they conserve resources for food,” he said. “Our resources should be managed for food in Hawai`i too,” he said.

Kimi Werner, a champion Hawai‘i spearfisher who accompanied the group, was just as inspired by the work being done by the Hawaii communities as by the examples in Palau. “Seeing Palau and learning about how they manage resources is wonderful, and bringing this group together to share our knowledge and the work we are doing in Hawai‘i is inspirational. Although our journey to Palau has come to an end, it’s really just the beginning.”

The visit to Palau completed the Conservancy-sponsored Hawai‘i-Palau Learning Exchange. Last July, a Palau delegation visited communities in Hawai‘i to learn about the potential environmental impacts that can accompany rapid change and development. They learned about the importance of managing sediment, run-off, and fresh water flows; preventing the importation and establishment of invasive species; and working in partnership with developers to manage natural resources.

The Hawai‘i-Palau Learning Exchange was made possible through generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, the Maui County Office of Economic Development, the Hawaii Fish Trust and The Nature Conservancy.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have helped protect 130 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at http://www.nature.org/

February 16, 2012 Contact:

For Immediate Release Grady Timmons

Ph: (808) 587-6237; (808) 228-8581 (cell)

Email: gtimmons@tnc.org

Kenneth Brown who with Pinky Thompson, were the inspirational founders of Maˉlama Hawai‘i, a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to the vision that Hawai‘i, our special island home, is a place where the land and sea are cared for, and communities are healthy and safe for all people.

For more on this inspiring leader, and extraordinary Hawaiian Son, read "Tapping the Source" in this week's Honolulu Weekly.

Tapping the Source

(excerpt) Beginning with the Hawaiian cultural renaissance in 1978, Kenneth Francis Brown, a middle-aged executive who is one-fourth Hawaiian but passed for pure haole, reclaimed his identity as a native son and forged a working plan for a sustainable future based on traditional mores.

Because it was in his nature and, some say, his kuleana as a descendant of alii to pursue the common good, Kenny Brown’s voyage of self-discovery grew into a series of cooperative enterprises that, for more than 40 years, have worked to protect Hawaii’s natural and cultural resources and to restore community health.

BY MINDY PENNYBACKER | MAR 7, 2012

Remarks by Senator Kenneth F. Brown

Before the Seminar Titled
"The Spectrum of Influences Affecting Quality Growth" July 25, 1973

Replace a single-use plastic item in your house with a sustainable eco-friendly design. Show us the plastic object and what you propose as an alternative. The new design should be of a material that is organic or non-polluting to the world’s oceans. Designs can be hand drawn or computerized images in 8 x 10 format.

Contest begins 9 February, runs until May 18, 2012

Final selections announced on June 15, 2012

See more information on our website at SafePla.net and look at our “Flagship” themes, as well as “contests”. Ask your teacher for details.

Prizes

(Hawaii Art Contest Rules)

5 winners will have their designs made into prototypes by local manufacturers and the image printed on new Safe Planet sustainable bags; get to tour the sailing ship Sea Dragon when she pulls into port in Honolulu, July, 2012; spend a week at Art Mill www.artmill.eu in the Czech Republic for one winner (does not include airfare); exhibit with the Safe Planet exhibition during the Rio+20 Global Conference in June, 2012.

For questions: artcontest@artmill.eu

Further Information: www.artmill.eu

Contest partners:

Malama Hawaii

Safe Planet

5 Gyres

Pangaea Explorations

Ethical Profiling

Surfrider Foundation

Waikiki beach still open for public to enjoy

HONOLULU — An ongoing three-month public-private partnership to improve Waikiki Beach by restoring this valuable and heavily utilized recreational area will shift into active beach-building phase beginning March 12. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is conducting a project to restore sand to approximately 1,730 linear feet of shoreline from the west end of the Kuhio Beach swim basin, near the Duke Kahanamoku statue, to the existing Royal Hawaiian groin.

The affected work area is limited to this relatively small stretch of Waikiki Beach. Ocean accessibility is being maintained at all times during the project. Pedestrian access through the project area will be provided at intervals along the beach to ensure public access to the ocean at all times. The public may also choose to walk around the work area.

This project is a prime example of public and private partnerships, with financial support coming from DLNR’s Beach Fund, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and Kyo-Ya Hotels and Resorts, LP.

Bringing natural sand from nearshore deposits back to the beach will have significant beneficial impacts to the state’s most famous beach consistent with protecting the local environment, strengthening the desirability of Waikiki as a resort destination, and enhancing the enjoyment of the beach by visitors

Since active work began January 23, a substantial amount of sand has already been recovered from offshore deposits via a suction dredge barge, and placed in a holding area in the Kuhio beach basin. This sand is now ready for distribution along Waikiki beach.

While the preferred method for moving the sand onto Waikiki beach was to blow the dried sand through a pipe along the beach for placement, the desired results were not obtained.

“We recognize the high importance of Waikiki to our visitors, our visitor industry and its employees, and to local residents. To expedite the completion of the project -- on schedule and on budget -- our contractor will activate their secondary plan of using machinery to manually move and place the sand in its final location,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR Chairperson.

“We are thankful for the continuing support of our partners, including the Waikiki Improvement Association, Hawai‘i Hotel Association, and City and County of Honolulu, who recognize that every effort is being made to minimize inconvenience to the public, and who are actively engaged in helping visitors understand that Waikiki beach is still open for use and that this project will bring about a better beach we can all enjoy,” Aila said.

“Everyone worked really hard to consider various options to complete this important project while reducing the inconveniences to residents, businesses and visitors, and still keep Waikiki Beach open,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

“Waikiki is one of the quintessential images of Hawai‘i that attracts thousands of visitors and residents to its shores each year. When the project is completed, the Waikiki shoreline will be restored and enjoyed by all for years to come. This project is an essential long-term investment in Waikiki, our visitor industry infrastructure and Hawai‘i’s tourism economy,” McCartney said.

“This project to improve Waikiki Beach is long overdue,” said Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association. “Since 1985, this area of shoreline has experienced significant beach loss due to long-term, chronic erosion. By recycling eroded sand that lies just offshore, we can expand the recreational beach and provide significantly more space for visitors and residents to enjoy Waikiki.”

Beginning March 12, areas of the beach will be cordoned-off during active hauling and grading operations between 7 a.m. and noon seven days a week. The project will be done in phases to minimize the impact to beach users.

Pedestrians will be able to access the ocean at the affected work areas during work times from 7 a.m. to noon each day by crossing through designated locations with the help of crossing guards. The only beach closure will occur in the ‘Ewa Basin of Kuhio Beach, but this area will be opened by noon each day.

Work requiring area closures is expected to be completed by April 14, with the entire project finished by the end of April, as scheduled.

Project construction will be performed in close coordination with all appropriate agencies, including: DLNR; the state Department of Health, City and County Ocean Safety, Fire and Rescue; Honolulu Police Department; and city Department of Parks and Recreation.

DLNR, contractor Healy Tibbetts and hotels will be posting notices along the work area, in nearby hotels, and online to notify beach users of the temporary, phased closures.

Project general information, daily updates on the construction schedule and helpful instructions for beach access will be posted at www.WaikikiBeachProject.com

# # #

For more information, news media may contact:

Deborah Ward

DLNR Public Information Specialist

Phone: (808) 587-0320

HONOLULU - The State Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) is partnering with island county water departments and the Hawai‘i Rural Water Association, to launch together “Detect-A-Leak Week,” from March 11 to 17, 2012, to encourage all Hawai‘i residents to check for water leaks at their homes, properties and workplaces.

“Nurturing and protecting Hawai‘i’s natural resources are ancient traditions in the islands, and water is the most valuable of these resources.” said William J. Aila, Jr., CWRM Chairperson. “We must ensure that future generations have enough clean, fresh water to use. We can all do our part by conserving water and eliminating waste by finding and repairing leaks in our homes and places of work.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American home can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water every year from running toilets, dripping faucets and other household leaks. This can be significantly reduced in Hawai‘i if all residents statewide check their plumbing fixtures for leaks.

“For more than 20 years, the Detect-A-Leak Week program has served as an excellent reminder to our customers to check for and repair leaks in their homes and on their properties, which helps preserve our water supply,” said Ernest Lau, Board of Water Supply Manager and Chief Engineer. “Practicing water conservation by detecting and fixing leaks at home also helps to lower water and sewer bills.”

“Leak detection is an important part of protecting our most precious resource. Join us in our efforts to find and fix leaks by doing your part at home and in your yard,” said Quirino Antonio, Hawai‘i Department of Water Supply Manager and Chief Engineer.

“With water rates going up, it is ever more important to deal with the leaks while they are small,” said David Craddick, Kaua‘i Department of Water Manager and Chief Engineer.

Maui Department of Water Supply Deputy Director Paul Meyer offered some practical advice: “Is your toilet running needlessly? Flapper valves wear out and it’s sometime hard to tell if you are wasting water. The DWS has free dye tablets with instructions for testing for leaking toilets. It’s easy to test for leaks and takes just a few minutes. Just turn off all your water uses and check your meter. If the dial is spinning, you have leaks that can be wasteful and expensive.

There are three types of leaks that should be checked: toilet, property and underground leaks. For more information on how Detect-A-Leak Week is being observed on each island and for more tips on how to check for leaks at home, visit:

Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu: www.boardofwatersupply.com

County of Hawai‘i Department of Water Supply: www.hawaiidws.org

County of Kaua‘i Department of Water: www.kauaiwater.org

County of Maui Department of Water Supply: www.mauiwater.org

Hawai‘i Rural Water Association: www.hawaiirwa.org

###

For more information news media may contact:

Deborah Ward, for Commission on Water Resource Management, 808-587-0320

Kanani Aton, County of Hawaii Department of Water Supply, 808-961-7204

Faith Shiramizu, County of Kauai Department of Water, 808-245-5461

Jacky Takakura, County of Maui Department of Water Supply, 808-270-8046

Kurt Tsue, Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu, 808-748-5320

Karrie Lasater, Hawaii Rural Water Association, 808-495-0264