{"id":1888,"date":"2016-02-08T22:02:58","date_gmt":"2016-02-09T06:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coral.org\/news\/why-clean-water-for-reefs-matters\/"},"modified":"2021-09-08T07:25:47","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T14:25:47","slug":"why-clean-water-for-reefs-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coral.org\/en\/blog\/why-clean-water-for-reefs-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Clean Water for Reefs Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clean water is vital<\/em>\u2014for communities and coral reefs. Around the world water pollution from land-based sources is killing our reefs\u2014from cesspools and sewage pollution to contaminated runoff and pollutants.<\/p>\n

Communities are taking action<\/em>\u2014on Hawai\u2018i Island, the small, but strong community in Puak\u014d is setting out to change the trajectory for its coral reefs and, could set a precedence for community wastewater treatment state-wide.<\/p>\n

Puak\u014d Reef is one of the most significant reefs in the main Hawaiian Islands. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) designated the South Kohala region, including Puak\u014d, as a Coral Priority Management Site through its Habitat Blueprint initiative.<\/p>\n

Coral cover has declined up to 50% since the 1970s on Puak\u014d Reef<\/em><\/p>\n

The Puak\u014d community, alarmed by the changes to their reef, reached out to local scientists and the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) to evaluate the causes and find solutions on how to restore reef health.<\/p>\n

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A key challenge for wastewater treatment in Puak\u014d is the proximity of residential properties to the shoreline, combined with the geology\u2014very porous volcanic rock and high groundwater. This means that any polluted water released from residential treatment units can make its way to the reefs.<\/p>\n

There are 88,000 permitted cesspools in residential properties in the <\/em>State of Hawai\u02bbi\u201455,000 are on Hawai\u02bbi Island<\/em><\/p>\n

Studies of this reef reveal that high levels of nutrients, bacteria, chemicals and pathogens enter the ocean from local cesspools. The overabundance of nutrients upsets the delicate balance of corals and causes an increase in algae and a loss of coral cover.<\/p>\n

On February 1, CORAL and the Puak\u014d community reached a major milestone<\/a> with the release of a comprehensive Preliminary Engineering Report<\/a> that supports the Clean Water for Reefs Puak\u014d<\/a> project. The report provides a thorough analysis of three potential wastewater treatment solutions for the Puak\u014d community and a formal recommendation on the best option\u2014an onsite treatment facility.<\/p>\n

Together, we are taking important steps to protect and improve local threats to Puak\u014d Reef. The Clean Water for Reefs Puak\u014d<\/a> project is just the beginning, and we are inspired by the community\u2019s commitment to Puak\u014d Reef. To learn more about this project, visit www.coral.org\/puako<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clean water is vital\u2014for communities and coral reefs. Around the world water pollution from land-based sources is killing our reefs\u2014from cesspools and sewage pollution to contaminated runoff and pollutants. Communities are taking action\u2014on Hawai\u2018i Island, the small, but strong community in Puak\u014d is setting out to change the trajectory for its coral reefs and, could… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_genesis_transparent_header":false,"_genesis_hide_siblings_nav":false,"_genesis_hide_flyout":false,"_genesis_subtitle":"","_genesis_subheading":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-1888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-coral-updates","8":"tag-clean-water","9":"tag-hawaii","10":"entry"},"acf":[],"template_part":"\n

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