Water fraud case draws
no comment from board

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.com

Members of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply had no questions or comments as its administrative staff formally announced that police are investigating allegations that up to 40 of its employees may have rigged their water meters in order to obtain cheaper rates.

"We wanted to inform the board of a recent development that is of serious concern to us," Deputy Water Manager Donna Kiyosaki said at the end of yesterday's monthly board meeting.

"We have become concerned (about) irregularities in water consumption and water service with some of our employees," she said. "We are currently working with the Honolulu Police Department and the Corporation Counsel's Office to conduct further investigation of this matter and we will report back to you the results of that."

Kiyosaki also said: "I want to assure you that the vast number of employees at the board are very hard-working and honest people."

Board Chairman Eddie Flores Jr. then asked if there were questions. When there were none, the meeting was adjourned and the five of seven members present left the room hastily before reporters could ask questions.

Testing of the agency's new automatic meter reading program showed several employees with irregular patterns of consumption, Water Manager Cliff Jamile said earlier this week.

Jamile mailed letters to the agency's workers on Oct. 12 informing them that "some of our employees may be tampering with their personal residential water meters to alter readings and reduce their bills."

Mayor Jeremy Harris said yesterday that he "instructed" Kiyosaki to call the police on Tuesday after the Star-Bulletin ran an article about the agency's internal investigation.