Maui County’s Department of Water Supply has proposed three types of billing categories for customers affected by the island’s August wildfires.
“By establishing these categories, we can help to alleviate some of the hardship residents in disaster-affected areas are experiencing,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. “It's necessary to take into account the circumstances our residents are facing from the devastating fires.”
One of the categories would be customers whose houses were destroyed and water service has been canceled. Under the county’s proposal, they would be allowed to request “temporary irrigation rates” to maintain lawns, crops and gardens.
The second category would be for customers whose water was used to fight the fires. The county’s proposal would allow those customers to apply for reimbursement with the county clerk’s office.
Finally, the county wants to set up billing rates for those in areas where an unsafe water advisory is in place. Customers would only pay the base water service charge for their meters, which range in size and price.
The prices per meter range from about $23 per month for a 5/8-inch meter to more than $1,400 per month for an 8-inch meter.
The county will send the proposal to the Maui County Council, which has to approve the changes.
