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Maui Department of Water Supply releases a public-friendly synopsis of its island water plan; staff briefs state commission
Summary
Maui Department of Water Supply and consultants presented a condensed summary of the June 2023 Maui Island Water Use and Development Plan and described outreach to rural and vulnerable communities; the summary is meant to be an accessible companion to the full 1,300-page plan.
The Maui Department of Water Supply and its consultant, Planning Consultants Hawaii, briefed the Commission on Water Resource Management on Jan. 28 about a new summary document that condenses the June 2023 Maui Island Water Use and Development Plan.
The full island plan runs roughly 1,300 pages; the summary is a shorter, public-facing document organized into seven sections: background and purpose; historical and cultural context; water resources and hydrology; the Department of Water Supply systems; demand and supply (potable water); island-wide planning issues; and recommendations. The summary is intended to explain the plan's purpose and major findings in a more accessible format for residents, policymakers and other non-technical audiences.
Maui staff and the consultant said the summary does not change policy or data in the adopted plan; rather, it synthesizes core elements — such as the roles of municipal and private systems, groundwater and surface-water resources, and the island's hydrology — and highlights key planning issues such as climate change impacts, the cost and complexity of source development, conservation and watershed protection.
Department of Water Supply staff described outreach done since the plan's adoption and said additional targeted meetings were held in late 2024 to reach rural and vulnerable communities, private water-system operators and agricultural stakeholders. Staff noted remaining concerns raised during outreach, including a need to clarify definitions (for example, the difference between "domestic" and "municipal" water classifications), the need for more data on certain aquifers such as Haiku in East Maui, and community requests that the department expand assistance to small private systems.
Consultant Michael Summers said the summary aims to act as a "teaser" for the public and to make the plan's values, goals and proposed actions easier to understand; he said the summary intentionally omits new policy or data beyond what the adopted plan contains.
Why it matters: The summary is intended to broaden public understanding of Maui's water planning and to help residents and decision-makers see priorities, potential projects and the tradeoffs inherent in source development (surface water, groundwater, reused water, desalination). Staff said further regional updates (for example, a West Maui update tied to post‑fire recovery) are planned, and that targeted follow‑up outreach will inform future plan revisions.
Next steps: The department will post the summary and outreach materials and schedule additional briefings and hybrid meetings for communities that requested follow-up.
