Unsafe Water Advisory lifted for remaining areas of Upper Kula

The Department of Water Supply has lifted the Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula, removing the two remaining areas, UK-2B and UK-5. Water serving buildings and homes in Area UK-2B and UK-5 is declared safe for unrestricted use effective Oct. 31, 2023. Community members can search an address using the interactive Water Advisory Map to confirm if their address is outside or within the advisory area. 

Water may have stagnated in the premise plumbing of homes and buildings within areas UK-2B and UK-5 while the advisory was in effect, and the Department of Water Supply recommends customers flush their lines to remove any standing water in plumbing and pipes due to non-use and replace it with fresh water. Lines may be flushed by opening valves and letting the faucets run for at least 10 minutes. 

The only areas that remain under the Unsafe Water Advisory until further notice, include Lahaina Areas L-3A through L-6. Customers within the advisory area should continue to NOT drink or boil their tap water. Boiling, freezing, filtering, adding chlorine or other disinfectants or letting water stand will not make the water safe. Bottled water or potable water provided by the County of Maui must be used for drinking (including making baby formula and juice), brushing teeth, making ice, and food preparation. Customers in the advisory area are also advised to limit tap water use for hygiene purposes such as showers. Failure to follow the advisory could result in illness. 

The Unsafe Water Advisory was issued on Aug. 11, 2023, as a precautionary measure due to the unknown impacts of the August 2023 Maui wildfires on the drinking water system in the area. In Upper Kula and Lahaina, structures in the water system in both areas were destroyed by the fires, and some areas in the water system lost water pressure. These conditions may have caused harmful contaminants to enter the water system. The Department of Water Supply will continue to monitor all areas that were affected by the August 2023 wildfires through its long-term monitoring program. 

The Department of Water Supply has been working closely with the Hawai`i State Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete its volatile organic compounds investigation, isolate the system from fire-damaged structures to ensure minimal potential from any contamination, and conduct ongoing water quality sampling and testing at key points throughout the system. The decision to lift the Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula by removing areas UK-2B and UK-5 was based on multiple lines of evidence collected through this process, which supported the determination that fire-related contaminants did not impact the UK-2B and UK-5 areas’ water system. 

For more information about the Unsafe Water Advisory, the Department of water Supply’s VOC investigation, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, go to mauirecovers.org/utilities.