Ask the Mayor: Why was Boil Water Advisory so Widespread?

Boil water advisory. Maui Now graphic.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his office staff.

Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, call 270-7855 or send them 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.

Aloha Mayor:

Q: This may sound like a dumb question, but I honestly want to know why the boil water advisory was issued for such a huge area.

It impacted a large number of hotels, restaurants, medical facilities and businesses not to mention thousands of residents. The water coming out of my tap wasn’t brown, it looked fine, but I complied anyway.

A: Department of Water Supply technicians tested the water for bacterial contamination after a major waterline broke away during the flooding and an undetermined amount of contaminated stream water entered the county water system.

As a precaution, the boil water advisory was issued until repairs could be made and lines flushed; water samples have been thoroughly tested and are used to make determinations in water quality for consumption.

Although it may be inconvenient, it is important that for public health and safety reasons we exercise caution to avoid people getting sick.