WorldWide Drilling Resource

Have Geologists Been Wrong About Hawaii’s Freshwater Resources? Adapted from Information by the University of Hawaii The Humu'ula Saddle Hydrologic Study Project at the University of Hawaii (UH) at Mānoa and UH Hilo, began drilling at 6400 feet above sea level, between the mountains of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea in the saddle region of the Big Island of Hawaii, in 2013. Led by UH Mānoa Professor Donald Thomas, the team of researchers may have made a discovery which will drastically change traditional knowledge of the state’s most valuable resource: freshwater. According to conventional models, which have been used for decades, since the island is comprised of a relatively thin basal freshwater lens (a layer of freshwater saturated rock), the research team should have had to drill 5900 feet to 500 feet above sea level, to reach the island’s freshwater supply - that’s not what happened. “We found something just complete- ly different,” Thomas stated. “The stable water table in the saddle is not 500 feet above sea level. It’s more like 4500 feet above sea level. So we are almost ten times higher than we could have expect- ed when we started out on the project.” Geologists have long believed only a small fraction of rainwater is stored in the islands because the geological make- up of Hawaii is volcanic and porous. “With our findings here, it looks as though the 68 JULY 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Perfect! Beautiful! Awesome! In Memoriam Evelyn Wright Evelyn Wright of K i r k t on , On t a r i o , Canada, passed away March 22, 2015, at the age of 91. She and her late husband Harvey had owned and operated H. Wright and Son Electrical, Plumbing, Heating, and General Store since 1939. She is survived by son Don; daugh- ter Norlene; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The management and staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource ® offer their condolences to Evelyn’s family and friends. islands really act as huge containers,” said Thomas. The potential impact for residents, ranchers, and farmers in drought-stricken areas across the island chain is great; especially for islands such as Oahu, where freshwater may become scarce due to the island’s increasing population. The next step for the Humu'ula Saddle Hydrologic Study Project is a sec- ond drill site six miles from the first site, to measure the extent of the groundwater. If the test well proves successful, it will provide strong support for a high level of water beneath a large tract of property belonging to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on the eastern side of the Humu'ula Saddle where the need for a reliable source of water for ranching oper- ations is immense. Farmers and ranchers aren’t the only ones excited about the discovery, so is the United States Army, which is funding the project. Currently, the Army spends $1.5 million per year to truck in freshwater for its Pōhakuloa Training Area, which is where the first drill site is located. As work continues, waves of excite- ment are spreading through the commu- nity. This extraordinary find on the Big Island could change how we view the geology of the Hawaiian islands, as well as the state’s freshwater supply. Professor Thomas is also Director of the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. the New York City water supply system leaks about 36 million gallons per day.