Day 1 : The Board of Water Supply ( Waihe'e Tunnel )
Waihe’e Tunnel was built in 1951 by Chester Wentworth, Board of Water Supply hydro-geologist, who was assisting the Suburhan Water System (SWS). The tunnel took approximately one year to build. Waihe’e Tunnel is a dike water source that supplies water for Windward O‘ahu from Kahalu‘u to Kailua. It is a part of a dike complex in the Waihe’e watershed of Kahalu‘u, O‘ahu.
The Observation Tunnel is 1,500 feet long; the storage compartment tunnel beyond the bulkhead extends another 200 feet. The tunnel is about 2,000 feet below the ridge if the mountain above it. This tunnel can yield as much as 7 to 9 million gallons of water per day, but sustainable yield (the amount it can supply daily without depleting the source) is closer to 5 million gallons daily.
Respecting indigenous knowledge in natural resource management is a critical object present environmental and natural resource management for future. Community participation and involvement is important in natural resource management as everyone is responsible for sustainable resource management. In history all natives people share responsibility through the Ahupua‘a system.
The Ahupua‘a system of land and resource management was practiced by the native Hawaiian. The basic principle was to protect the water and other resources that sustain all life from the highest point in the mounting down to the sea. It means that Hawaiian had traditional ways of their lands and water resource management. Principles of ahupua‘a management enabled Hawaiians to sustain large and healthy populations without compromising ecosystem integrity. Governing water resources were enforced through law of water kapu and kanawai law of law of land since ancestors. You could access water from the upper parts of the stream for drinking while you could only access bathing from only downstream. Ancient Hawaiians learned the value and preciousness of its limited surface water sources.
Dike tunnel is the source of water supply to Windward O’ahu. The tunnel is 1,500 foot long. The water is more than 200 years old. The main source of the water is from rain. There are two type of water treatment, chlorine and charcoal treatment to purified water and the charcoal to make to remove pesticide from water as agriculture land is the main distributor of it.
The tour to Dike tunnel is a rare opportunity even the local people are not allowed to go. The tour started with walking through the beautiful and quiet forest. It took more than 15 minutes to get to the tunnel. As soon as we entered the tunnel everyone has to use their own flash light because it is too dark in it. It took more than 15minutes to get to the water pumping end and there are two sides. It is amazing that there is 9months old baby water that everyone can try it. It may different the one you are drinking from the water tap. It’s cold in the tunnel but the experience is different from outside cold. There were amazing experience that presents Hawaii culture and tradition of respecting nature and ancestors. That is a tour guide sings “chant” without any light on. It means to me a lot and it makes me realize the important of respecting indigenous knowledge in preserving and protecting of nature.
The management are handle by the board of water supply partnership with other department and organization through adapting Ahupua‘a system of resource management. The indigenous knowledge about natural resource management cannot be ignored in present environmental and resource management. It is necessary to protect and preserve our environment and natural resource as our ancestors kept doing preservation. This natural resources are belongs to our many future generation. Therefore, it is important to keep respect and practice indigenous knowledge and practice in sustainable development.
Electrical power is not required to draw the water out due to the gravity flow system. In the event of power shortage Waihe‘e can continue to supply water.
The Observation Tunnel is 1,500 feet long; the storage compartment tunnel beyond the bulkhead extends another 200 feet. The tunnel is about 2,000 feet below the ridge if the mountain above it. This tunnel can yield as much as 7 to 9 million gallons of water per day, but sustainable yield (the amount it can supply daily without depleting the source) is closer to 5 million gallons daily.
Respecting indigenous knowledge in natural resource management is a critical object present environmental and natural resource management for future. Community participation and involvement is important in natural resource management as everyone is responsible for sustainable resource management. In history all natives people share responsibility through the Ahupua‘a system.
The Ahupua‘a system of land and resource management was practiced by the native Hawaiian. The basic principle was to protect the water and other resources that sustain all life from the highest point in the mounting down to the sea. It means that Hawaiian had traditional ways of their lands and water resource management. Principles of ahupua‘a management enabled Hawaiians to sustain large and healthy populations without compromising ecosystem integrity. Governing water resources were enforced through law of water kapu and kanawai law of law of land since ancestors. You could access water from the upper parts of the stream for drinking while you could only access bathing from only downstream. Ancient Hawaiians learned the value and preciousness of its limited surface water sources.
Dike tunnel is the source of water supply to Windward O’ahu. The tunnel is 1,500 foot long. The water is more than 200 years old. The main source of the water is from rain. There are two type of water treatment, chlorine and charcoal treatment to purified water and the charcoal to make to remove pesticide from water as agriculture land is the main distributor of it.
The tour to Dike tunnel is a rare opportunity even the local people are not allowed to go. The tour started with walking through the beautiful and quiet forest. It took more than 15 minutes to get to the tunnel. As soon as we entered the tunnel everyone has to use their own flash light because it is too dark in it. It took more than 15minutes to get to the water pumping end and there are two sides. It is amazing that there is 9months old baby water that everyone can try it. It may different the one you are drinking from the water tap. It’s cold in the tunnel but the experience is different from outside cold. There were amazing experience that presents Hawaii culture and tradition of respecting nature and ancestors. That is a tour guide sings “chant” without any light on. It means to me a lot and it makes me realize the important of respecting indigenous knowledge in preserving and protecting of nature.
The management are handle by the board of water supply partnership with other department and organization through adapting Ahupua‘a system of resource management. The indigenous knowledge about natural resource management cannot be ignored in present environmental and resource management. It is necessary to protect and preserve our environment and natural resource as our ancestors kept doing preservation. This natural resources are belongs to our many future generation. Therefore, it is important to keep respect and practice indigenous knowledge and practice in sustainable development.
Electrical power is not required to draw the water out due to the gravity flow system. In the event of power shortage Waihe‘e can continue to supply water.
Day 2 : Roth Ecological Design International Natural Systems Technologies
The Green Machine is a tank based bioremediation facility that utilizes the concepts of constructed wetland technology. Designed by Ocean Arks International, the patented ecological fluidized beds circulate the wastewater introduced into the process over the course of a one week treatment.
The biological active water is passed through the attached growth bio-films where waste in the water becomes food for the organisms and plants floating in the tanks. Compressed air is used to turn the tanks bottom to top and the oxygen that dissolves ion the water is utilized by the aerobic bacteria and microorganisms for their respiration. Nutrient reductions as a result of biological metabolism achieve advanced wastewater treatment to a quality that meets the State of Hawaii water reuse standards. |
Day 3 : Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at Coconut Island
The Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology is a world-renowned marine research institute of the School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. It is situated on Moku o Lo'e (Coconut Island) in Kane‘ohe Bay, HIMB provides excellent opportunities for tropical marine research located just 15 miles from the main campus and downtown Honolulu.
More information: http://www.hawaii.edu/HIMB/index.html