Ask the Mayor: Are There Water Saving Devices at Beach Parks?

Maui county logo. File image.

The mayor answers questions from the public in this series.

By Mayor Alan Arakawa

Q: I’ve heard that Maui County gives out water-saving devices for free. If that’s the case, how come they don’t give some to their own parks department? I always use the showers at the beach and there is a lot of water wasted there. It seems like you could save a lot of water if the county took advantage of their own advice.

A: Actually, we have installed low-flow shower heads at our county beach parks. We’ve done this again and again. The trouble is that these shower heads are removed time and time again. Apparently many beach-goers prefer the heavy stream of water to wash themselves off, along with any surfboards or other beach gear. Also, some people take the shower heads from pool and beach showers for what I can only assume is personal use. This is ironic seeing as how the thieves didn’t have to steal anything. They could have just walked into the Department of Water Supply and asked for a low-flow shower head for free. Replacing your old shower head with a low-flow one can save as much as 7.2 gallons per person per day. For more information on the free shower heads, call the Department of Water Supply at 463-3110.

Want to Ask the Mayor?

Submit your questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, by phone at 270-7855 or by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the Ask the Mayor column.