Water audit request approved

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The County Council on Friday approved a resolution requesting Legislative Auditor Colleen Schrandt conduct a performance audit into the performance audit into the Department of Water Supply’s procedures for awarding water meters for the Ocean View standpipe station.

The County Council on Friday approved a resolution requesting Legislative Auditor Colleen Schrandt conduct a performance audit into the performance audit into the Department of Water Supply’s procedures for awarding water meters for the Ocean View standpipe station.

Ten standpipe meters were issued on a first-come, first-serve basis for the new $6.4 million water system station that is at least 12 miles closer to the dry Ka‘u subdivision than the Naalehu water standpipe station. But despite the closer location, Ocean View residents have told Councilwoman Brittany Smart that they haven’t seen any significant drop in the price of water delivery.

Further, some residents believed one company was monopolizing the standpipe meters, keeping the price of hauling water higher than it should be.

The Department of Water Supply had said it planned to replace the current system of allocating standpipe meters with a lottery system.

“If there’s any improvements to our process, we’d welcome it,” said Keith Okamoto, deputy chief of the Department of Water Supply.