As landmarks go, it may not be the oldest, but it is one of the more distinctive at the Koko Marina Shopping Center.
And there are big plans for the landmark.
The landmark is this Kona Brewing Company kettle brought from the Big Island some ten years ago. Here at Koko Marina, it has only been used for advertising, but that will soon change.
Jetsun Dutcher with Kona Brewing Company said, "and we’re really looking forward into turning this into a rain catchment system. It’s going to be taking all of the rainwater that basically falls onto our roof and we’re going to be re-using that water."
The folks from Malama Maunalua first came to Kona Brewing company with the idea for turning the huge kettle into a catchment system.
Tegan Hammond with Malama Maunalua said, "yeah, it’s a unique opportunity for us to demonstrate water catchment in our area. It has a lot of good implications for watershed management as well as just re-charging our aquifer."
A lot of work will have to be done before the thousand gallon kettle can be converted.
"We’re working with Koko Marina on getting a lot of the foundation laid, lot of work to be done, we’ve got to put concrete underneath the brew kettle so that it doesn’t tip over," said Dutcher.
And Dutcher said Kona Brewing Company was pleased when it was approached by Malama Maunalua about the idea.
"We said, go for it. It’s a great idea. It’s been sitting there, it’s just right underneath roof there where it have all the water go right there so we’re very happy to be a part of it," said Dutcher
Both partners agree it’s another small step toward preserving the environment.
"Everything that happens on land has a really immediate impact on our ocean, so it’s really important that we address what we’re doing here on land as well and run-off is one of those big things that we have to tackle," said Hammond.
We will keep you updated on the progress of the transformation from landmark to landmark/catchment system.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
