Maui Water Quality Focus of Wellhead Protection

By Wendy Osher

File photo by Wendy Osher.

The county Department of Water Supply will present a proposed Wellhead Protection Strategy and Ordinance during an upcoming public meeting.  The ordinance applies to areas surrounding drinking water wells and restricts land uses that can threaten ground water.

The public is invited to a Groundwater Protection Meeting to find out how this program affects water quality on Maui.  The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 28, 2011 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Waikapu Neighborhood Center and Park.

The draft document is aimed at protecting public health and safety by minimizing contamination of aquifers.  It also seeks to protect existing and potential sources of drinking water supplies.

Under the plan, land uses would be restricted that are incompatible with ground water protection.  Restrictions would also be placed on land uses that have been identified as risks for ground water contamination.

The plan includes a 50-foot zone around each well where any non-water supply activities are prohibited.  The plan also includes broader indirect microbial and chemical contamination zones where water takes between two and ten years to reach the aquifer.