Dams and reservoirs across the state serve all of the people of Hawaii in many ways: They provide drinking water, electricity, agricultural irrigation water, recreation, and perhaps most important, flood control for public safety.

In fact, the dam used to illustrate the Nov. 28 Star-Advertiser article, "Safety costs criticized," is the city’s Hoomaluhia Reservoir on Oahu that was built to protect the Kaneohe/Kailua area after massive floods in the 1960s killed people and caused significant damage to homes in the area. The project was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1970, and is said to have prevented at least $18 million of flood damage in the last 28 years.

In addition, the reservoir serves as the focal point for the wonderful botanical garden, provides recreational opportunities such as picnicking and fishing, and is home to endangered birds, including the Hawaiian coot.

The recently proposed DLNR dam safety rules have drawn much attention. Although the focus has been on the agricultural use of reservoirs, farmers will not be alone in bearing the impact of the proposed rules; we are but one of the many users of this critical piece of island infrastructure. State and county-owned dams and reservoirs, such as Molokai’s Kualapuu Reservoir, will also be affected, as they, too, will be required to comply with the proposed requirements and fees.

General funds should be used to help support the continued use and safety of dams and reservoirs because water storage benefits everyone and, especially now, storage is essential to our islands. The recent drought has affected everyone in Hawaii. In fact, Hawaii is ranked as being in the most severe drought of the entire country, and this may not end soon. A recent University of Hawaii study predicts that our normal tradewinds and resulting showers will decline and be replaced by an alternating pattern of drought and storm events. Water storage capacity and flood control from our dams and reservoirs will become even more critical as this occurs.

The fees mandated in the proposed rules are unreasonable and excessive, have no caps or other provision to ensure that they are used only for their intended purpose, and will inadvertently result in less water storage capacity for all of the islands at a time when more storage capacity is needed.

Furthermore, costs for engineering studies required by DLNR and construction costs to upgrade and retrofit all reservoirs on DLNR’s list will be cost prohibitive for many. This will lead to a reduction in all of the benefits that dams and reservoirs provide.

There is a better way. We believe that Hawaii needs a comprehensive strategy to ensure the availability of water and the safety of water infrastructure as we expand our capacity to provide affordable and reliable water for all users.

When it comes to Hawaii’s agriculture, it is increasingly recognized that local farming benefits all of us in so many ways … from putting fresh food on our tables, to providing us beautiful productive working landscapes to enjoy, to preventing the introduction of devastating invasive species that hitch-hike on imported foods.

But please remember that without water for local farms, there will be no sustainability and no food security for Hawaii.