The Way it is

• The state owns all the water. It leases water rights to A&B, the County, and other water users. The watersheds themselves, in E. Maui, are 2/3 state land (leased to A&B in part) and 1/3 A&B owned. State and County are not working together.

• A&B owns all the stream diversions and the ditch/flume/tunnel system that transports water from E Maui to Upcountry and the Central Valley.

• The present water distribution is ineffective.  (1) The open ditch system spills a lot and evaporation from the open ditches wastes a lot of water. (2)  The diversion dams are 19th century technology, without any kind of automatic controls and sensors. (3) The old diversion dams will be washed away whenever a locally heavy storm dumps record rain in any one watershed, as happened twice on Maui in the last two years, and just last month on Kauai. 30 to 40% of our precious resource is lost.

• There is a contested case hearing about how much water must be left in each of the main twenty-two E Maui streams that is ready for decision after 15 years of litigation.

• How much of the “excess” water A&B can divert in the future, now how much more the County can take as upcountry develops. The question of how much A&B and the County can use with that system is in limbo.

• The distribution system is not being maintained properly now, and really needs modernization.

• Right now A&B gets a windfall, paying only a fraction of the price all the other users of that water pay.

 

What we can do

• Find out our daily sustainable usage of water with requirements to restore the aquifer and keep within this balance.

• Test our water for poisons and other chemicals sprayed by Monsanto, A&B, and other large chemical based farming. Monsanto/Bayer needs to be regulated.

• Set a fair price for use of the state water, no matter who uses it. Enforce laws to protect well heads, a county right.

• Fair and equitable solution regarding water rights for the betterment of Maui including restoring our streams and fresh water ecosystems.

• Explore county and public ownership of the watershed and distribution system.

• Fix the leaky distribution system and send the sacred water to support the common good instead of A&B development.

• Ensure Native Hawaiian’s rights of 30% compensation for profits from water diversion – as provided in the State Constitution.