The Maui County Council is moving ahead with plans to spend $6 million on two water systems in West Maui as part of an effort to bring more public control over water for drinking and irrigation.
The council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee approved a measure allowing the county to buy the privately owned Launiupoko and Olowalu water systems. The systems are located just south of Lahaina, and together serve about 480 customers.
“I would love to see more of our water in the county's control,” said Council Member Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins during a Tuesday meeting on the measure. “I know things are sometimes extremely expensive, but I think for $6 million, it's a very small percentage in our overall budget. I know we're going to have to figure it out, and we have to cut costs in certain places. But I don't think the ownership of our water is where we want to begin.”
County of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has said his administration’s efforts will bring nearly all drinking water systems under public stewardship. In his State of the County address in March, he said less than half is currently under public control.
For both drinking and irrigation water, he said that only a quarter of water systems are publicly controlled. He said his plans, which also include acquiring assets at the Honokōhau Ditch System, would bring that up to 65%.
The purchases would also be of multiple wells and water system-related infrastructure.
Council Chair Alice Lee voted against the measure, saying she’s reserving her approval on a discussion by the county’s Board of Water Supply this week on the financial viability of taking control of the systems.
The board has a meeting Thursday, and is scheduled to discuss water permits in the Lahaina area.
“My main concern is that we're not going to be operating at a loss because it's just not worth it,” she told the rest of the council.
That could come in the form of unseen costs in maintenance, repairs and upgrades that the county would have to pay.
An analysis of the systems provided to the council found that the operating cost for both systems is about $1.6 million annually, though customer fees bring in nearly $3.3 million per year.
Most of the council approved the acquisition, supporting the effort to bring water stewardship into public control.
“We should be purchasing up private water systems. We should be purchasing up land. We should be purchasing up some of those houses on the Minatoya List … so that we can all have this connected to have our people live and thrive,” said Council Member Gabe Johnson. "This is taking the profit out of out of it and putting the service into it, and that's what I'm here for.
The purchase still needs to be approved by the full council.
