This coming Tuesday, Maui has a chance to move toward achieving greater control over our own water security. The Maui County Council’s Government Relations, Transparency and Ethics (GREAT) committee will meet at 9 am on June 7th to make an important decision: whether to approve a resolution for a charter amendment to establish an East Maui Community Water Authority.

Currently, public water supplies are dependent on corporate entities, some of which are foreign owned. This places the public at the mercy of corporate decisions that are based on what’s best for the company – not necessarily the public interest.

It’s a risky situation, too. As climate change continues, investment in watershed health will be critical in preserving any stream flow at all. If the company is sold, like it was in 2018, we will have a whole new period of uncertainty while we wait and hope that the new owner will have our best interest in mind.

That said, it’s important to note that water for large scale agricultural users can continue to be provided while prioritizing instream uses such as kalo growing. The advantage of a public water management entity would be that decisions would be made transparently and consistent with the public trust, rather than behind closed doors based on what’s best for the corporation.

If approved by the GREAT committee, and then by the County Council, the charter amendment proposal will appear on the general election ballot in November.

Please let the GREAT committee know that you support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority – Maui County’s people deserve a chance to learn more about the proposal and then VOTE!

Government Relations, Ethics, and Transparency Committee 
Meeting Time:   Tuesday, June 07, 2022 at 9:00am HST
Online Testimony Link: https://bluejeans.com/175115369
You can also submit written testimony here, or simply indicate “support” and leave a brief comment.

The establishment of this community Water Authority is an important step towards restoring community-based management of our resources and bringing stewardship back into the hands of the people of Maui.

The Water Authority would be run by a community advisory board, with representatives from East Maui communities, Upcountry agriculture, Upcountry residents, and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands – all of whom are important stakeholders that rely on this water source.

As a public entity, the Water Authority would be eligible for private, federal, and state funding that is not available to private corporations. Funding could be used for watershed restoration and much needed repairs to the century old infrastructure of the East Maui Irrigation system. EMI workers, who know the system best, could continue to provide expertise and run the system under the management of the Water Authority.

Unless we take action, A&B/EMI (co-owned by Mahi Pono) is on track to secure a long-term lease to divert up to 88 million gallons a day from East Maui streams for the next 30 years.  Mahi Pono is owned and controlled by one of Canada’s largest investment firms, Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), which has already invested in the privatization of water rights in other drought prone areas of the world, and is under global scrutiny for its investment management practices.

Decisions made now will affect water security for all of us – now and in the future.

We need an alternative kamaʻāina plan, not a corporate plan. A Water Authority has the potential to give everyone a seat at the table to work out water policies that make sense in the face of uncertain rainfall patterns
 
Let’s help Maui County work toward pono resource management.  Please let the GREAT committee know you support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of an East Maui Community Water Authority, and allow Maui residents a chance to vote on it!

Mahalo for Protecting Mauiʻs Future!