Over four months after the Maui fires contaminated water sources, the Maui Department of Water Supply gave the all-clear Friday for another cluster of Lahaina homes to consume their tap water.
The area near Lahaina Gateway, which impacts 69 lots near Kapunakea Street on the mauka side of Honoapi’ilani Highway, now has safe drinking water, according to the department.
A separate community water testing program from the University of Hawaiʻi continues to offer free testing for Kula and Lahaina residents concerned about their water quality.
UH hydrologist Chris Shuler said he saw how desperate people were for information. When folks returned to their homes in Kula soon after the fires, the water was off and then suddenly it was on, so they used it for a couple of days, Shuler said.
"Then the do-not-use advisory came out a little while after that, so I think that really scared people," he told The Conversation.
"Then they were told there's potential carcinogens in it and so that really did provide a situation where more information, more trusted, validated information was something that was really needed."
Shuler said people have appreciated having a third-party scientific opinion about their water quality.
Residents and owners can search their addresses using the interactive Water Advisory Map on the Maui Recovers website to confirm whether their locations are under an advisory.
This story aired on The Conversation on Dec. 20, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
