Sarah Ghio leans on the rear bumper of her dead silver SUV, sipping juice because the tap water on her North Shore Oahu farm is still unsafe to drink. She lives off-grid on land once owned by a Dole Food sister company, where century-old irrigation ditches are choked with invasive weeds. These ditches, which merge with natural streams to carry water to the ocean, failed during recent Kona low storms, contributing to devastating floods.
Waialua farmers and residents say the historic rainfall was unavoidable, but the extent of the damage was not. They blame neglected culverts, ditches and bridges, along with overgrowth that blocked key drainage systems. Many are unsure who is responsible, with government departments directing them to other agencies in what one farmer described as a 'goose chase'.
Under Hawaii law, landowners must manage waterways on their land, including culverts and ditches. On public land, it falls to state and county authorities. However, the Commission on Water Resource Management, which regulates all ground and surface water, has no record of enforcement actions for North Shore irrigation systems. Inspections are driven by complaints and permit applications.
Sarah Ghio argues that when plantation companies sell off assets, more information is needed to smooth the transition. 'These guys made money off these systems for years. Then when they aged out, they neglected them,' she said. 'We're in a floodplain. We know that. We're not dummies. But even farmers need to not drown to death.'
Natural drainage patterns on Oahu's North Shore were altered in the late 1800s when plantations built over 30 miles of irrigation ditches. After Waialua Sugar Company closed 40 years ago, the corporation's need for water waned, and the system fell into disrepair. Today, over 150 farmers work small plots on former Dole plantation land, many relying on a dilapidated drainage network that can no longer cope with extreme weather.
