Originally published October 7 2005
Water tests find pesticides in Maui water
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Peahi Farms, a development in East Maui, is hoping that it can cleanse its wells of pesticides without expensive treatments that might prove necessary if the contamination is not contained.
Peahi Farms, the East Maui development overlooking the famous big-wave surf site "Jaws," is purging its wells after water quality tests found traces of pesticides.
The developer said the pumping would purify the water source, but a federal hydrologist said more extensive and expensive treatment would be necessary if contamination is found to be widespread.
Developer Rick Holt said initial tests showed the well water was pure enough to pass federal standards but "just barely" cleared the tougher state standards.
A partner with the Oregon firm Holt & Everhart, which bought the land for $3.5 million three years ago, he said the company wanted to reduce pesticide levels further before submitting samples to the state Department of Health for accreditation.
If the pesticides were indeed pushed down from above, purging will remove them, he agreed.
But if the entire groundwater source is tainted, the developer could purge all it wants and still not hit clean water, he said.
"Either it's contaminated from their drilling process and they'll clean it out, or the lower aquifer is contaminated from years of agriculture," he said.
He said he was concerned that water was being wasted, and that the heavy pumping might harm the spring on which he depends for his house and his crops.
But Gingerich said the wells would not affect nearby springs, because the springs are fed by a smaller aquifer near the surface, while the wells tap a deeper water source.
The DOH Clean Water Branch prohibits the dumping of water into the ocean.
But Holt said Peahi Farms is containing all the pumped-out water in large retention basins on the property.
While it's expected they will apply for a public water system permit from the Department of Health, they have not yet done so, said Stuart Yamada, engineering section supervisor of the DOH Safe Drinking Water Branch.
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