County of Kauaʻi Department of Water and Pacific Missile Range Facility partner to address aging infrastructure, water reliability and future growth on Kauaʻi’s west side.
KEKAHA, KAUAʻI — A $1.3 million federal grant will help the County of Kauaʻi Department of Water (KDOW) evaluate and plan improvements to the Kekaha-Waimea water system, which serves west side communities and the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF).
The funding, awarded through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), will support surveying, engineering design and predevelopment planning aimed at strengthening water infrastructure, improving reliability and preparing for future demand.
The effort comes as existing water-system limitations raise concerns about long-term water availability, wildfire protection and potential residential development in the Kekaha-Waimea area.
“This funding is critical because reliable water infrastructure is fundamental to the safety, resilience, and long-term vitality of West Kauai,” said KDOW Manager and Chief Engineer Joe Tait.
“It gives the County, the Department of Water, and PMRF an opportunity to work together on practical solutions that strengthen our water systems while supporting an installation that is integral to Kauaʻi.”
According to the joint announcement, PMRF receives potable water through the county’s water system but faces limitations in available supply capacity.
The installation also relies on a single aging well that cannot be taken offline for repairs or modernization without an alternative water source.
Beyond military operations, water infrastructure limitations affect the surrounding communities of Kekaha and Waimea, including their capacity to accommodate future housing, support growth and provide adequate water flow for wildfire response.
Approximately 980 employees report to work at PMRF, many of whom live in Kekaha and Waimea, further connecting the installation’s infrastructure needs with those of the surrounding community.
“PMRF’s presence on Kauaʻi has created an opportunity for meaningful, long-term collaboration between the installation and the community that supports it,” said PMRF Commanding Officer Capt. Robert Prince.
“This project is an example of how shared planning can address local challenges, improve resilience, and help ensure that West Kauai and PMRF are positioned to meet future needs together.”
The grant will finance planning and preliminary engineering work rather than immediate construction.
KDOW and PMRF will evaluate existing infrastructure, forecast future water needs and identify potential improvements to water resources, storage facilities, transmission lines and distribution systems.
Expected outcomes include a regional planning and feasibility report, a hydraulic analysis of the water system, and a capital improvement funding and implementation plan.
The findings will help determine which infrastructure improvements should take priority, how future projects might be phased and what additional funding would be necessary to carry them out.
Among the priorities are improving water reliability, increasing backup supply capacity and strengthening water availability for firefighting.
“The Department of Water is committed to ensuring that West Kauai has the information and planning foundation needed to make sound infrastructure decisions,” Tait said.
“OLDCC funding enables a focused, collaborative approach to addressing our water-system needs that we cannot solve alone.”
The project is expected to produce its planning, hydraulic analysis and implementation recommendations by early 2028.
While the grant establishes a foundation for future infrastructure improvements, the joint announcement does not identify a construction start date or funding commitment for the improvements that may ultimately be recommended.
Residents seeking additional information about the Kekaha-Waimea water system or the federally funded planning project can contact the Kauaʻi Department of Water at 808-245-5455.
More information about the federal Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation is available at oldcc.gov