On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, the Water Commission plans to discuss the Maui Island Water Use and Development Plan (MIWUDP), which will be as used a blueprint for all uses of water on Maui for the next 20-years and sets the trajectory for our future water conservation, development and tourism growth. This plan is NOT ready for approval yet.

PLEASE SIGN & SHARE THE PETITION

Ask the Water Commission to hire a professional consultant to revise and update the plan using accurate and current data, realistic projections, and create a plan that is accessible to the public and reflective of responsible water conservation and development goals. We cannot afford to mismanage our most precious resource!

WHY ISNʻT THIS PLAN READY FOR APPROVAL YET?

1. People can’t understand what the Water Plan says.
   It’s 1,200 plus pages and filled with confusing charts, lots of jargon, and old data. 
2. We need a Professional consultant to make the plan useful and update the numbers.
   Our Water Department worked hard on this plan, but it’s not really in their job description – The Water Commission should ask the County to hire a professional consultant to streamline it, make the plan clear, and update the data – as all of the other islands have done. 
3. The Plan is missing any reference to the Community Water Authorities or recent water designations.
   The charter amendment for the Maui County Community Water Authorities, passed in Novemberʻs general election, which will be a big part of future water strategies for all parts of Maui.  The WUDP also does not include the recent designation of the Lahaina Aquifer Sector as a Surface Water and Ground Water Management Area.
4. The plan needs to aim for larger water conservation goals.
   The current goal is to reduce water consumption by 8% on Maui island over the 20 year life of the WUDP.  With increased periods of drought and less rainfall predicted for many areas of Maui, water conservation goals need to aim higher. 
5. We need a WUDP with real solutions for the Upcountry meter list – it’s been 20 years!
   The Upcountry meter list section of the WUDP uses old numbers & doesn’t provide any real breakdowns of water demand or specific solutions. The current Upcountry list is 1,428 – the WUDP still says there are 1,800 requests and that 7 mgd (million gallons per day) of water is needed.  The WUDP “solution” language says, “Assess alternative options to restructure and process the existing Upcountry Meter Priority List….” – Why hasn’t this been done over the last decade?  We need accurate numbers and clear path forward. 
6. The WUDP needs to re-examine water “demand” numbers – The plan uses old data and times have changed.
   The WUDP uses old data, even where newer numbers are available. This boosts estimated water needs, but the numbers may be inaccurate.  The plan does not take into account recent numbers which show less water available in East Maui streams.  We need a plan with the best data available in the face of the uncertainties posed by climate change.
7. The Ha’ikū aquifer is the main source for new County water wells – but the WUDP ignores Ha’ikū-Pā’ia community plan.
   Ha’ikū wells are the County’s main solution for providing 8 mgd of water to South Maui, but the plan does not acknowledge how very little is known about the aquifer and its specific capacity and depth. There is no clear plan “B.”

   Ha’ikū residents have had NO access to new county water meters for 20 + years and must catch rainwater or drill expensive wells. Ha’ikū’s community plan asks that the water needs of the community be met before water is transported elsewhere. County staff refused to include Ha’ikū-Pāʻia community plan language in WUDP strategies.

8. West Maui water demand projections seem inflated.
   Will the West Maui population really increase 64% to 40,000 as the WUDP theorizes, boosting water demand from 9.4 mgd today to 15.7 mgd in 15 years? Is this sustainable, given the area’s already stressed aquifers and drying streams?

   The WUDP estimates that hotels and luxury resort condos will add many more rooms and will need an additional 2 mgd from private water systems over the next 15 years. Our County Council has proposed limiting new resort units in West Maui to what exists now. Should the WUDP use this outmoded Lahaina demand for resort/business water needs if few new visitor units are planned?

   Will there be enough water for homes that existing Lahaina families can afford? Does the WUDP figure in the existing Lahaina residents who need homes, who are not “new” population?

There are many more concerns.

Our Water Use and Development Plan needs to reflect the realities of our current times and show a clear, responsible pathway ahead.

Please Sign the Petition Now.