Ensuring access to clean drinking water during emergencies is crucial for sustaining life. The Malamalama Project, a newly established 501(c)3 organization, is dedicated to this vital mission. Our main goal is to create independent, decentralized sources of sustainable and environmentally friendly clean drinking water for communities in Hawaii for emergencies. As we execute our mission of establishing sustainable sources of clean drinkable water for emergencies in communities, we will also address the following:
Sustainable Agricultural - Greater Food Security for Communities (Cover Crops, Organic Permaculture, Agroforestry, Beekeeping, and more)
Creation of Sustainable Renewable Energy to power our emergency water production technology which can also supplement the electrical power needs in the communities which we are in.
Community Education - We plan to establish learning centers where we will demonstrate technologies and proven strategies to be self-reliant. We will educate individuals and families to be prepared and more resilient in disasters . These learning centers would also transition into a staging area during emergencies.
We are implementing cutting-edge water production technology integrated with solar and wind energy systems, along with innovative water storage solutions, to achieve this objective. The Malamalama Project aims to launch three pilot projects strategically located across the island of Oahu. These pilots will serve as models to be replicated statewide and eventually nationwide.
By establishing these initiatives, we will introduce resource redundancy to Hawaii, filling a critical gap in the state's emergency preparedness. Currently, Hawaii lacks sustainable resource redundancy and resiliency, making it vulnerable during crises. Our efforts will enhance Hawaii's ability to weather emergencies and become more resilient in the face of adversity.
Currently In Hawaii
Hawaii faces significant challenges with freshwater resources, exacerbated by its geographic isolation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Historically, Hawaiians demonstrated remarkable environmental stewardship, mastering diverse practices from agriculture to aquaculture, closely intertwined with culture, religion, and governance. Today, efforts are underway to revive this lost knowledge to address modern water needs. However, much of the knowledge and structures have been lost. And the infrastructure damaged of over a century of neglect and the knowledge has to be relearned. And, the process of relearning these cultural practices will take time and it is time that we may not have.
The urgency is clear. Natural disasters quickly deplete food and water supplies, exposing vulnerabilities in our water systems, such as those seen in Red Hill and Lahaina. Some communities rely on rainwater catchment due to limitations in the well water system, worsened by aging infrastructure, chemical contamination, saltwater intrusion, and drought cycles like the ongoing El Niño. The El Niño weather cycle usually last between 2 to 8 years.
Recent data from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply is concerning. Several wells are at low levels, and with indefinite shutdown of the major well that supplied water to the city of Honolulu due to contamination from Red Hill fuel leaks. With the indefinite shut down of the well around Halawa Valley, Honolulu lost twenty percent of its drinking water supply and further threatens future water security. Cleaning contaminated aquifers and fuel-tainted waterlines also pose daunting challenges - the board of water supply doesn't know how to clean it. Geopolitical tensions further compound these risks. Past conflicts have disrupted Hawaii's water supply, highlighting vulnerabilities in our reliance on imported food and single water sources. The COVID-19 disruptions offer a glimpse of potential supply chain failures. The current system is significantly strained and unprepared for a major crisis. We must act now to establish resource redundancy and improve water security. Conserving alone won't suffice. The time to prepare for emergencies is before they strike. This requires innovative solutions and community resilience efforts to safeguard Hawaii's future.
The Fresh Drinking Water Challenges Seems Complex Hawaii’s water issues can seem complex; however, the solutions are quite simple once understood. Hawaii has no resource redundancy when it comes to the drinking water source. The strategies that oversee current single source of water requires management, maintenance of infrastructure, and conservation efforts that would follow the model that embodies the following (4 R Model):
· Reduce the use of water
· Reuse used water
· Recycle used water
· Reclaim water
These water management and conservation strategies are important and have their role in insuring the availability of water for the general population. However, doesn’t provide answers that allow communities to opportunity to be truly resilient in an emergency or disaster.
As we see it, there are two major problems that relate to drinking water in Hawaii. The first problem are the significant challenges related to the current supply, quality, distribution and management of water from a single source of water. The second problem is the absence of resource redundancy, there is no second sustainable source of clean drinking water in the State. The second option would require innovation, forward thinking, planning, proactivity, and a significant step outside of the application of the 4R Model and status quo.
We understand that access to clean drinking water is life especially in an emergency. However, both the State and county governments have not taken action to address the absent of a sustainable independent drinking water source for emergencies, so we decided to do something about it and make a significant difference in the lives of many, when it matters most.
The Emergency Water Solution - Create a new source of water and develop resource redundancy for emergencies
The technology is available create another water source by harvesting water from the atmosphere in almost any climate. This patented proprietary technology was developed in 2009 in Israel and used by the military. And in 2015 the technology began to be used to create a new water source for communities. This new environmentally friendly technology follows the natural water cycle and produces clean pure drinking water from the atmosphere without producing any of the toxic byproducts and waste that other water producing technologies produce. The idea of collecting water from the air isn’t new concept, but the way this technology used is new.
Water Distribution to the Community
This project is a multiphase project where the initial phase establishes the new independent source of decentralized drinking water source in communities. And, additional phases focus on improving distribution of the resource and increase the speed of access. Covered in this proposal is the establishment of a new independent water source that creates resource redundancy. Having access and resource redundancy is imperative in disaster preparedness and in an emergency. At our learning center's we plan to produce between 12,000 gallons to 18,000 gallons of water a day.
The Malamalama Project’s Water for Life Initiative’s first objective in the initial phase would be to install the atmospheric water technology, off-grid power technologies, and water storage tanks so that the water source is established and available in the community. Our primary objective during this phase would be to establish second independent source of water for communities so the drinking water is available. During this initial phase, the community could come to the tanks and fill water containers in an emergency. The pure clean water produced by the atmospheric water generators is unlimited as long electrical power is available and the equipment is maintained. We plan to harness solar and wind power with a power storage system to power the facility and technology when the electrical grid is not working.
We recognize that water distribution is a challenge for any water supply system and is usually closely related to funding and staffing. The more funds that are available the more decentralized the emergency water source could become more decentralized. Our goal is to minimize the wait and increase access to water in an emergency. In phase two of our initiative, we would strive to increase access and reduce the size of the lines that could form and improve customer access and service in an emergency. The goal is to increase access for the elderly and disabled and other at-risk populations in the community. We would coordinate with emergency personnel and preidentified potential locations, shelters and other locations where emergency services are located and bring in additional atmospheric water generators to provide unlimited clean water to the areas where it is needed.
Summery
The Malamalama Project is poised to revolutionize emergency water production in Hawaii with its innovative Atmospheric Water Generation Technology. This technology, pioneered in Israel in 2009, and successfully deployed worldwide, harnesses moisture from the air to produce clean, pure drinking water without generating harmful byproducts or waste of other technologies. Our mission is clear: to establish independent, decentralized water sources across Hawaii using this cutting-edge technology integrated with renewable energy systems. By launching three strategic pilot projects on Oahu, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach and pave the way for statewide and nationwide adoption. The urgency of this initiative cannot be overstated. Hawaii faces critical challenges with its freshwater resources, worsened by geographic isolation, aging infrastructure, and contamination issues like those seen at Red Hill. Recent droughts and geopolitical tensions further underscore the need for immediate action. The Malamalama Project’s Water for Life Initiative is more than a solution; it’s a lifeline for communities facing water shortages and emergencies. By establishing these innovative water sources, we will introduce resource redundancy and bolster Hawaii’s emergency preparedness. Join us in this transformative endeavor to secure a safer and more sustainable future for Hawaii and beyond. With your support, we can ensure that clean drinking water is always available, regardless of the circumstances. Let’s make Hawaii a beacon of resilience and innovation in emergency water production and management. Together, we can build a more resilient Hawaii—one drop at a time and where every drop matters.
When you truly understand what we do, you will know our vision and mission is actually more than just establishing independent sources of sustainable emergency drinking water and resilience in communities. But, it's where it all begins - www.MalamalamaProject.org
