Where: Kipapa Acres, Hawaii

Problem: Small rural communities lack access to safe drinking water

Solution: RCAC staff provided technical assistance to a rural Hawaii community that risked running out of water

In July, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) asked Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) staff to help replace a pump at Kipapa Acres water system in Oahu, Hawaii. The system lost its only well pump, which meant the community could run out of water; and the system implemented emergency rationing until the pump was replaced.

While travel was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RCAC staff provided remote assistance to system staff. Through a series of phone calls, Rural Development Specialist Kevin Baughman coached the operator through the process of locating and transferring the pump to the well site and provided step-by-step guidance on how to safely install the new pump. Baughman then reminded the operator to perform special coliform sample collection procedures to ensure that the water was safe for consumption before returning the well to service. Due to RCAC and the operator’s quick response, the community did not run out of water and completed sampling to prove the water was safe for use when well service was restored.