The Commission on Water Resource Management recently issued its decision and order that grants the County of Maui’s Department of Water Supply with an existing use permit for 1.784 million gallons of water per day and a new use permit for 1.416 million gallons per day.  

With a daily supply of 3.2 million gallons for the County, the Commission’s ruling ensures more than 100,000 citizens in Central and South Maui, Paia and Kuau will have a reliable source of water into the future. It also allows the department’s new $21.5 million Iao Water Treatment Plant to operate at full capacity.

“On behalf of Maui County citizens, I want to thank the Commission for its diligence in considering over 150 different applications for water use amidst a complexity of issues tied to water use rights,” said Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino. “Since the Iao aquifer designation in 2003, the Commission has reviewed thousands of pages of legal findings and studies, and conducted months of hearings. Its decision and order struck a good balance between the rights of traditional farmers, agricultural needs, and a growing Maui population. At the same time, it protects our watersheds and aquifers and the wildlife that depends upon them.”