#upcountry water

Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura is requesting an exploration of options relating to East Maui water resources to ensure reliable water delivery for some 37,000 Upcountry water users.

It is likely that Maui will meet the federal definition of a drought disaster “if not this week then the following week,” said James Robello, Director of the Maui County Farm Service Agency.

Effective immediately, the Department of Water Supply is declaring a Stage 1 water shortage for all customers in Upcountry, Maui.

DWS has ended its declaration of a Stage 1 water shortage in the Upcountry district

The DWS is continuing its Stage 1 water shortage declaration in the Upcountry district due to reduced surface water flow and an ongoing dry weather forecast.

Due to the Stage 1 water shortage, all Upcountry water consumers are asked to conserve water and to avoid any unnecessary water use until further notice.

Due to the high volume of rain over the weekend, the declaration of the Upcountry “Stage 1” water shortage has been terminated.

Maui Now reached out to Maui Water Director Dave Taylor for more information regarding the Stage 1 water shortage.

The Kula Community Association has asked Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa to discuss a number of issues of interest to residents on Feb. 15 at the Kula Community Center.

Consumers on Copp Road to the Kēōkea area may be impacted with either low water pressure to temporary interruption in water service during this time period.

The Kula Community Association will hold its quarterly community meeting this Wednesday, Sept. 7 at the Kula Community Center at 7 p.m.

The Maui County council will consider resolutions to approve for inclusion in the 2016 Hawaiʻi State Association of Counties Legislative Package bills that: (1) prohibit smoking in motor vehicles occupied by minors; (2) increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2019; and (3) allow persons with disabilities to indicate on their identification cards their disability.

Council Meeting Moved to Oct. 6 to Accommodate Travel. Agenda items may include: zoning for Kīhana Nursery in Kīhei; conditional permit for He-Man Landscaping in Lahaina; and infrastructure exemptions for the Upcountry water meter list.

Exemptions are being proposed to applicants on the Upcountry water meter priority waiting list to help those wanting to build an ʻohana unit or a second dwelling for a family member.

Water Resources Committee Chair Gladys Baisa introduced a bill that, under certain conditions, would exempt residents on the Upcountry water meter priority list from making costly infrastructure improvements.

Topics of discussion will include: an ag water allotment and ag water rates for Kēōkea farmers, and extension of the non-potable ag waterline to Kēōkea.

The project was implemented to address an old and leaking wooden flume that was losing much of the water that was being transported to the Olinda Water Treatment Facility.

The affected area includes Haʻikū, Makawao, Olinda, Hāliʻimaile, Pukalani, ʻŌmaʻopio/Pūlehu, Kula, Keōkea/Waiohuli, ʻUlupalakua, and Kanaio. The voluntary conservation is requested for the next two to three months until the rains restore water levels in the reservoirs.

Education updates and water issues facing the Upcountry area of Maui will be the focus of discussion at the upcoming meeting of the Kula Community Association, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at the Kula Community Center.

The list, dated June 30, 2014, is 35 pages long and includes 1,852 requests dating back to January 4, 1999.