Department of Water Supply reports adequate capacity for Central Maui development, though margin narrows

Maui County’s Department of Water Supply reports that water demand in Central Maui remains below the system’s reliable capacity, allowing the county to continue issuing meters for new housing and development projects.

The Central Maui District — which serves areas from South Maui to Central Maui and as far east as Spreckelsville and Pāʻia — was evaluated in an August update to the department’s Maximum Reliable Capacity Analysis.

According to the analysis, the Central Maui system’s maximum reliable capacity is 27.3 million gallons per day. Current projections show that by 2027, total water demand — factoring in existing usage, expected growth, and committed meters — will reach about 26.81 mgd, or 98.2% of capacity.

Because projected demand remains below 100% of the system’s reliable capacity, the department said it will continue issuing new water meters. However, requests exceeding 1,200 gallons of water per day are subject to additional restrictions under county administrative rules, as demand approaches the upper limit.

Officials noted that the department does not track the number of individual housing projects coming online. Instead, staff monitor the projected water usage of new developments to ensure the system stays within sustainable levels. The current three-year projection remains below the threshold that would trigger a moratorium on new meters.

“A new reliable capacity analysis will be conducted at the beginning of the year, which will incorporate the average use of any new developments that connect to the Central Maui system during 2025,” said Department of Water Supply Director John Stufflebean. “If this or any future evaluation shows that the three-year projection for demand exceeds maximum reliable capacity, the department would suspend the issuance of new or additional service.”

County officials said continued monitoring will determine whether future growth in Central Maui remains consistent with long-term water sustainability goals.