Last week, Mayor Roth joined the Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply (DWS) and other elected officials at an official groundbreaking ceremony for the Lālāmilo 10-Million-Gallon Reservoir Project.

Benefits of the $19.8 million project include: improved resilience and reliability of the Lālāmilo Water System, additional potable water storage for domestic use and fire protection, and increased use of renewable energy. When completed in 2 years, it will be Hawai‘i’s largest potable water reservoir.

The added storage capacity will improve DWS’ ability to fill the reservoir when wind power is available from the nearby 3.3-megawatt (MW) Lālāmilo Windfarm. This will help to reduce electrical costs, fossil fuel use, and greenhouse gas emissions and assist both Hawai‘i County and the State of Hawai‘i in meeting the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative of reaching 100% clean energy by 2045.

In addition, the Lālāmilo Water System utilizes eight wells to supply more than five million gallons of safe drinking water daily to coastal South Kohala customers extending from the Mauna Lani Resort northward to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ Kawaihae Industrial Lots, including Puakō, Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Mauna Kea Resort and Properties, and the Kawaihae Boat Harbor.

Photo credit: Office of Mayor Mitch Roth