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Committee approves joint funding and IGA for USGS West Maui groundwater study
Summary
The committee recommended first reading of an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to fund reconnaissance and design work for a deep monitoring well in West Maui; the Department of Water Supply and the Water Commission will split most of the Phase 1 cost while USGS contributes a smaller federal share.
The Maui County Water and Infrastructure Committee voted to recommend first reading of Bill 19 (2025), authorizing the mayor to enter into a joint intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for Phase 1 of a groundwater availability study and reconnaissance to support development of a deep monitoring well in West Maui.
Why it matters: The Department of Water Supply said the work will refine understanding of West Maui groundwater conditions, improve the county's groundwater model, and provide the data needed to evaluate aquifer health, chloride (salinity) levels, recharge and potential impacts to streamflow. The study is reconnaissance, permitting, and monitoring-well design rather than a production-well project.
Eva Blumenstein, Planning Program Administrator with the Department of Water Supply, explained the funding split: the Phase 1 scope totals about $180,000; the county and the Maui Water Commission each plan to contribute approximately $75,000 and USGS would contribute $30,000. Blumenstein said, "we are contracting USGS, to do the reconnaissance permitting, the monitoring well design." She added there has been outreach to other potential contributors and that the Water Commission agreed to split costs with the county.
Committee members asked whether USGS's federal contribution is firm, why the department contracts USGS rather than performing the monitoring in-house, and whether the monitoring well could be used for production. Blumenstein said the county does not have hydrologists on staff and routinely contracts USGS for technical monitoring and data management. She said the monitoring well is intended for data and monitoring only and is not a production well.
Timing and ownership: Phase 1 (site reconnaissance and selection) will identify the best location(s) for monitoring. The department indicated USGS's contribution covers a portion of Phase 1; the drilling and development portion of a deep monitoring well would likely require larger federal grants (potentially millions) if pursued. Ownership of a drilled monitoring well would depend on funding and agreements; Blumenstein said the Water Commission currently owns the existing deep monitoring well in the Honokowai aquifer, and ownership of any new well would be determined as funding and partnerships are finalized.
The committee substituted the bill with a CD1 (technical edits) and recommended first reading; the committee recorded an 8-0 vote in favor (with the chair noted as excused for the recorded count). The department noted Phase 1 deliverables may extend beyond the agreement's fiscal-year performance period and that staff would return to council for any no-cost time extension if necessary.
The committee's action advances the intergovernmental agreement to the full council for consideration.
Sources and attribution: Quotations and attributions are from the March 17, 2025 committee meeting transcript, including Eva Blumenstein (Department of Water Supply) and council members on the Water & Infrastructure Committee.
