Concerns arise in Hawaii about power cutoffs impacting water supply for fire hydrants
Honolulu: There’s been a lot of chatter about whether power cutoffs could mess with fire hydrants in Hawaii. President Biden recently pointed out that in L.A., power outages made it tough for hydrants to work during fires. So, folks are wondering if the same could happen here under Hawaiian Electric’s Public Safety Power Shutoff plan.
Hawaiian Electric says it’s hard to predict exactly what would happen since every situation is different. They do work with local water departments and emergency responders to prepare for these events. They try to give everyone a heads-up about potential power shutoffs so that people can plan accordingly.
We reached out to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to ask how they keep water flowing to hydrants during these outages. They said they’re working on a response, but we’ll have to wait for that. Meanwhile, their website mentions that their operations depend on HECO’s power, and a PSPS could impact their ability to pump water, especially on the Leeward Coast.
On the Big Island, the Department of Water Supply has a similar message. They have some backup generators, but they can’t fully replace the power from HECO. If there’s a long outage, they might have to limit water use for things like fire protection and personal hygiene.
So, it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. With all the wildfires happening, it’s crucial to know how these power plans could affect our water supply. Stay tuned for updates!
