Study: Management affecting water

But EPA finds Upcountry system meets health, safety standards

The Maui News
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
By ILIMA LOOMIS, Staff Writer

WAILUKU - Lack of communication and coordination, understaffing, and inadequate training all are preventing the Upcountry water system from performing as well as it should, according to a study conducted by a team of EPA scientists.

The study found that the system meets basic regulations for safety, but water quality is being affected by poor communication, management conflicts and other issues. Low morale, "complacency" and unreliable equipment and facilities are also problems, the study found.

"Lack of communications and limited cooperation between operational divisions severely inhibit operations to control contaminants, consistency and stability of the finished water to the customer," according to the report.

While he said the department would look at the report and its recommendations, Deputy Director Eric Yamashige on Monday defended his department and took issue with some of the findings.

While the study reported poor communications, Yamashige noted the department holds regular meetings with senior staff, operations chiefs and supervisors. A system is in place to allow for interdivisional communication, and both he and Director Jeff Eng have "open-door policies" for all employees, he said.

"The system works," he told the County Council's Water Resources Committee.

He also disputed a finding of the report that many plant operators don't understand the treatment process.

"All our treatment plant managers are trained and certified to do their job," he said.

Yamashige agreed the department had room to improve. With understaffing a problem, workers and supervisors are so busy doing their jobs that not much discussion takes place about how to improve the system or reach higher goals, he said.

"They don't have a lot of time to spend together," he said.

He said management already had met to discuss ways to incorporate the study's recommendations.

Overall, Yamashige said he was "very happy" the study found the system was in compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

Council Member Michelle Anderson said she'd ask the department to put in writing the actions it was taking to improve.

"What I want to hear is not criticism of the report, but the proactive measures you're taking to address their concerns," she said.

Members of the EPA study team noted many of the issues they identified had been raised by an assessment of the water system 10 years ago but never were addressed.

"A major concern for this optimization study is whether there exists managerial interest, freedom, time, resources and perseverance to undertake, institute and follow through to completion any of the presented options," they wrote.

Findings of the EPA study included the following:

* "Divisions act in isolation and do not interact to any meaningful degree." This can affect water quality. For example, mixing of water between systems can affect the stability of additives, but one division adds the chemicals while another decides how and where to move the water.

* The primary water-quality goal is to meet regulations, and the ease of meeting those standards has led to "complacency." For example, some membrane plant operators said they were "fine" with spikes in turbidity that hit the regulatory limit.

* "Lack of guidelines or (standard operating procedures) has resulted in inconsistent procedures among treatment-plant operators." For example, chemical doses are based on flows that are estimated or calculated differently by different operators.

* A "poor work culture" exists in which workers lack motivation and personality conflicts between upper-level managers have frozen communication between units.

"An astonishing number of managers and staff at all levels said they are tired of the 'crap' and the 'BS' associated with these conflicts."

* "Many operators' lack of basic water-treatment understanding contributes to improper operational decisions and poor performance and reliability." There is no formal training program, in part because there is not enough staff to cover shifts while workers are trained.

* Facilities and equipment are inadequate and unreliable. A streaming current monitor has been down at the Olinda plant, affecting dosages and possibly degrading water quality. Chemical dosing is affected at Piiholo and Olinda when power goes out from trees falling on power lines.

* "Staffing levels for both administration and for operations appear low relative to other utilities of similar size."

The EPA study was initiated at the request of both the mayor and the County Council.

Council Member Danny Mateo called the study a "wake-up call" that "only reconfirms the problems we already knew existed."

He said he would be waiting to learn how the department would respond to the EPA's recommendations.

"The ball's in your court, and you need to re-establish that degree of confidence," he said.