Attend your Area Meeting, Share your Manaʻo
The Maui Water Use and Development Plan (WUDP) is complex and can be difficult for the general public to navigate. The Department of Water Supply is now seeking community input to guide WUDP implementation. Maui Tomorrow (MT) encourages all community members to attend the upcoming meetings and submit written comments.
According to a recent county press release, the Department of Water Supply seeks input on:
Rural and farming water needs
Drought and wildfire risks
Access issues for residents not served by a public water system
Reliable water supply for all residents
PLEASE ATTEND IN PERSON IF POSSIBLE.
CAN’T ATTEND? Email your comments to the Department of Water Supply at water.supply@mauicounty.gov.
Although these meetings aim to gather feedback on water access and inform WUDP implementation, Maui Tomorrow believes it’s also crucial to discuss necessary updates to the WUDP itself. Community members are encouraged to comment on both their water access and potential WUDP revisions.
Wailuku : October 30, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Kahului Community Center
Koʻolau (Haʻikū to Keʻanae)*: November 4, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Haʻikū Community Center
Central Maui**: November 7, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Kula Community Center
Lahaina: December 2, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Lahaina Civic Center
*Ha`iku is not part of Ko`olau Moku (land district) but included with it for purposes of the WUDP.
**The WUDP classifies the South Maui and Upcountry regions under Central Maui. The water supply of these areas will be discussed at this meeting.
Please Share Your Experience:
Accessibility: The WUDP Implementation Meetings should offer Zoom access and allow email comments to make participation easier for those unable to attend in person. Currently, neither option is provided.
Farming Water Access: If you’re farming, trying to farm, or planning to farm, do you have reliable water access? How could your water access be improved to support sustainable agriculture?
Water Supply Access: If you lack access to a public water system (county water meter), what are your current and future water needs? How would access to a public water supply impact you?
Drought & Wildlife Impact: Have you experienced drought conditions or impacts from wildlife (e.g., deer, pigs) over the past five years? How has this affected your water needs or availability?
Wailuku : October 30, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Kahului Community Center
Key Testimony Points for Wailuku Area:
1. Incorporate Supreme Court Decision Updates:
The WUDP should reflect recent Hawaii Supreme Court decisions on Nā Wai ʻEhā and their implications for water allocations.
2. Plan for Increased Stream Water Usage:
Between now and 2035, the plan should anticipate higher demand for stream water, especially for traditional agriculture (e.g., kalo farming). The current plan assumes stagnant demand, which does not align with traditional and growing agricultural needs.
3. Simplify Water Plan Information:
The WUDP should use simpler charts, graphs, maps, and tables to outline water allocations and projected sources for the Wailuku area. Currently, the charts are overly complex and hard to interpret.
4. Use Real Water Data, Not Projections:
The WUDP relies on outdated projections rather than actual water use data, leading to discrepancies, particularly in the Wailuku section. The plan should use the most current available data, which at this time is the water use data from 2015 and 2020.
5. User-Friendly WUDP Meetings:
Online participation options and an email comment process would increase public engagement. Currently, there’s no online attendance option, limiting accessibility.
6. Transparency on New County Wells:
The public needs clear information on the locations of planned new wells in Wailuku and where the water from these wells is allocated.
7. Water Allocation Transparency:
Clarity on how much Wailuku water is allocated to the Wailuku area versus South Maui is essential for community understanding.
8. Hawaiian Homes Water Needs in Waikapū:
Newly designated Hawaiian Homes areas in Waikapū have additional water needs. It’s important to confirm whether these needs are accounted for in the WUDP.
Koʻolau (Haʻikū to Keʻanae): November 4, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Haʻikū Community Center
Key Testimony Points for Koʻolau Area:
1. Simplify WUDP Presentation: Update the WUDP with simpler charts, graphs, maps, and tables to improve public understanding of the Koʻolau area’s water plans and future resources. Currently, the charts are overly complex and hard to interpret.
2. Include Community Water Authority: Update the WUDP to address the activities of the Aha Wai Maui Hikina (East Maui Water Authority) and its potential role in managing Upcountry’s largest water source—East Maui stream water.
3. Update Upcountry Designation: Upcountry is currently grouped with Central Maui, however, its water sources currently come from East Maui and should instead be discussed in the Koʻolau section of the WUDP. This includes a discussion and timeline for new Upcountry reservoirs in the WUDP update, as well as water use intentions for the state well (“Kealaloa Tank well”) that was tested this year and turned over to Maui County water department.
4. Future Haʻikū and South Maui Water Demands: Recent Maui County discussions include taking water from Haʻikū to South Maui to meet future demands. How the needs of Haiku residents will be met in this context should also be addressed in the Koʻolau section of the WUDP.
5. Stream Restoration Info: Summarize the County’s 2024 Haʻikū stream restoration study in the WUDP and make it accessible to the public.
6. Detailed Stream Diversions: Many Haʻikū and Huelo residents who live near streams need clarity on why the streams may have stopped flowing. Can the Department of Water Supply request maps and withdrawal data for specific Haʻikū streams from EMI to improve transparency?
7. Kamehameha Schools Land Management: Reflect the new land management by Kamehameha Schools of over 1,000 acres along Haʻikū’s coast for conservation and cultural purposes, including their plans to restore stream flows for farming and other uses.
8. Private Wells Tracking: Update the WUDP with a list of new private wells developed in the Haʻikū, Makawao, Pāʻia, and Honopou aquifers since 2016, to monitor regional water resources accurately.
9. Haʻikū Well Planning: Provide details on county plans for drilling wells in Haʻikū, including whether any of this water will serve local residents on the Upcountry meter waitlist.
10. Future Water Access for Haʻikū: Specify how the county will supply water to Haʻikū residents who need water meters but aren’t on the current list. Include a map showing existing and proposed service areas.
Central Maui: November 7, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Kula Community Center
Key Testimony Points for Central Maui Area:
1. Simplify WUDP Presentation: Update the WUDP with simpler charts, graphs, maps, and tables to improve public understanding of the Central Maui area’s water plans and future resources. Currently, the charts are overly complex and hard to interpret.
2. Upcountry and South Maui Designations: Designating Upcountry as part of Central Maui is challenging since its water currently comes from East Maui sources. Additionally, South Maui residents should not have to travel to Kula to participate in this process.
3. Fire Preparedness and Mitigation: New information on fire readiness should be incorporated into the WUDP, including the strategic placement of water tanks for firefighting.
4. Upcountry Agricultural Water Landline: How is this issue being addressed? There are differing opinions regarding the future of the partially completed Upcountry agricultural water landline. Some stakeholders advocate for its completion and connection to a series of reservoirs, while others propose rerouting it to connect with the county’s potable water system to replace the aging pipeline currently serving Upper Kula.
5. State Well Intentions: The purpose and impacts of a recently drilled state well on private land need clarification in the WUDP.
6. Stormwater Storage for Agriculture: The use of reservoirs and stormwater storage for agriculture should be explored to support sustainable agricultural practices.
7. Agricultural Water Prioritization: There is a growing interest in agriculture in Kula, but expanding these efforts requires a reliable water source. Kula farmers need access to secure water resources, and Hawaiian Homelands aims to enhance food self-sufficiency but faces challenges without them. Prioritizing water for agricultural use is crucial for Kula; however, the WUDP offers limited specific information on how to address these needs.
8. Sustainable Groundwater Yield: An assessment of the sustainable yield in Central Maui aquifers is essential to ensure groundwater sufficiency for pending housing developments. If groundwater sources fall short, developers of large projects should fund required assessments, such as deep monitoring wells or helicopter conductivity flights.
9. Alternative Water Sources: Updated USGS data suggests that traditional water sources may not meet the demands of new development in South Maui, and alternative water sources are essential. The WUDP proposes using Haʻikū wells to meet future demand, raising concerns about reallocation of Koʻolau water resources.
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