Question: In his recent “Spotlight Hawaii” interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Board of Water Supply Manager Ernest Lau noted that residents may be asked to implement water conservation measures this summer. I would be grateful if you could inquire with the BWS to find out whether they will change their billing formula to provide a monetary incentive for doing so, because currently there is very little incentive, and we all know that without incentives most people won’t change their behavior.
For example, if a household consumes 3,000 gallons of water, the BWS bill is $111. That’s $22 for the water use and $89 of fixed, unavoidable charges. If a household implements stringent conservation measures and consumes only 1,000 gallons of water, the BWS bill would be $93. So a 66% reduction in water consumption would result in only a 16% discount on the water bill. Does the BWS think that folks will invest in water conservation equipment or catchment systems to get such paltry savings? The incentives are misaligned.
Answer: The fixed cost in your example is the sewer fee, which isn’t set by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, said Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui, BWS spokeswoman. The agency does encourage water conservation and wants to further incentivize it, she said. Here’s her full response:
“The Board of Water Supply’s multi-tier, inverted block rate structure was created to encourage water conservation. The more water a customer uses, the more money they pay for their water. Additionally, sewer volume charges are based on water usage. Based on the calculations (provided by the reader), the $93 bill translates into $89 fixed sewer fees and a $4 water bill. That is a significant drop in water costs. While billing incentives could encourage customers to use less water, the BWS controls only the water charge portion of the bill. Sewer charges, which compose a significant portion of the monthly bill, are set by the City’s Department of Environmental Services. The BWS cannot modify the sewer fees.
“The Board of Water Supply will be starting on the next 5-year rate setting study and we will look at other opportunities to incentivize conservation. Right now each customer is responsible to monitor their water use; less water use translates into a smaller water bill. For water saving ideas, visit boardofwatersupply.com.
“The BWS commends customers who are making efforts to reduce their water use and, as (the) reader points out, offers rebates for the purchase and installation of various household equipment that result in additional water efficiencies and noticeable financial savings over the long term. More information about available rebates is on our website at boardof watersupply.com/rebates.
“In the larger view, we hope that customers will want to conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Our island’s water resources are precious, and — as we can see with what is happening at Red Hill — can be subject to serious negative impacts. We all must work together to protect and preserve our finite supply to keep it sustainable. Every drop that we can conserve today is water for future generations.”
As you mentioned, Lau was featured on the Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream program (on Jan. 3, 808ne.ws/lau), talking about risks to Oahu’s overall water supply from the Navy’s underground fuel storage tanks at Red Hill, and steps BWS has taken to prevent the Navy’s contaminated water-distribution system from tainting nearby BWS wells.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
