Though the Maui Island Plan (General Plan 2030) states that Maui "possesses vast underground reservoirs of freshwater," access to these waters has historically been quite limited, and the condition of our aquifers has deteriorated, both through overuse and deep levels of contamination caused by commercial agriculture and rampant, ill-conceived development.
Severe pollution of nearshore waters has been caused, in most part, by building too close to the ocean and through erosion and runoff of toxic agricultural chemicals. We are poisoning both our soils and our waters, and depleting our watershed through too great a diversion of running waters.
We're taking too much for too little in return.
An interesting presentation was made to the Board of Water Supply in May by Ellen Kraftsow, division head of water resources and planning. The presentation was a report variously titled "availability worksheet," or "availability information." Three formulations were used to determine "remaining capacity."
When I asked what all this meant, Ellen replied: "We're out of water."
When she returned for the July meeting, the story was much the same, only now the worksheet had certain numbers printed in red to show where we are relative to water deficits.
These sorts of figures apply not only to Upcountry, but also to Central and South Maui, as well as West Maui's "mixed system" of surface collection and stream diversion. Toward the end of the meeting, Director Jeff Eng acknowledged that the county may be forced to call a "Findings of Shortage." This would stop everything. No water, no can.
Even though the need for a moratorium on development is sorely needed, it is essentially a political decision, which means that the administration and the County Council - as the policymaking body of our county government - must act if we are to preserve even our present access to water.
The U.S. Geological Survey has pointed to a substantial rise in salinity in the Iao and Waihee aquifers - more than 200 feet in the last 25 years. These aquifers may, in fact, be permanently impaired. And these are the aquifers upon which most of our development is based, but which presently feed the highest per capita water-use area in the county - Wailea.
It would seem that water has always been available for tourists and for the wealthy. What has been lacking historically throughout Hawaii is a determination to see water as a resource for all in our communities, part of the "commons," rather than a commodity to be traded for monetary compensation. Nothing will compensate for the almost genocidal effects this has had on native/indigenous populations.
The classic book on diversion of Hawaiian waters is Carol Wilcox's thoroughly researched book, "Sugar Water," in which the historical context for diversions of water throughout the state is delineated.
So much water for so many years has been taken by a few corporate entities that it has had a devastating effect on Hawaiian culture and the maintenance of subsistence lifestyles. This practice has been ruled illegal by the Hawaii Supreme Court, but nothing has been done to remediate this situation.
Instead, litigation aimed at returning waters to the kuleana farmers of East Maui has gone on for more than seven years. A small portion of these public trust waters are then sold to the county, which is charged for "delivery" of these waters by A&B and its subsidiaries.
Then, of course, there is the so-called Wailuku Water Co., which controls most of the public trust water from the Na Wai Eha, the four great waters of the Waikapu, Iao, Waihee and Waiehu streams, and sells it to numerous users, chief among these being the County of Maui and A&B.
Access to these waters would lead to watershed restoration, recharging of the aquifers and re-establishment of traditional agricultures at a time when self-sufficiency in food products is a must for all of Maui County. We cannot, in truth, rely on importing nearly all our foodstuffs from markets thousands of miles distant from our islands.
How water is used and distributed is essential to our continued habitation on these islands. As poignantly spoken by Melissa Prince at the Water Use and Development Plan meeting in Pukalani last week, we cannot continue to take such a great amount of water from the East Maui watershed without the forests and other life of the watershed dying. Our lives and sustenance depend on nourishing the life of the land.
* Michael Howden is a member of the Maui County Board of Water Supply and a County Council candidate for the Upcountry representative seat. He works as an acupuncturist at the Kula Clinic and lives in Kula.
