Sewer service is now active for 62 lots in Wahikuli Terrace Subdivision after the 2023 Lahaina wildfire destroyed much of the town’s infrastructure. On Wednesday, Maui County officials reported the Lahaina sewer system was fully active.

According to Maui County officials, the sewer service for lots in West Maui affected by the 2023 Lahaina wildfire is fully active.

“I want to commend our Wastewater Reclamation Division personnel for their hard work,” Maui County Mayor Bissen said in a statement.

According to the mayor, workers faced a daunting task when the sewer infrastructure in Lahaina — including thousands of feet of sewer lines, three wastewater pump stations and the only wastewater reclamation facility in West Maui — was severely damaged in the fire.

He said the department did the work in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and in the following months that allowed for this critical infrastructure to be restored.

According to the Maui County Department of Environmental Management, the final work by its division involved 62 parcels in the Wahikuli Terrace subdivision.

“We couldn’t have gotten to this point without the tireless work of so many,” said Shane Agawa, the department director. “Most of all, I would like to thank our residents of Lahaina for their patience and understanding while we worked to restore sewer service.”

Crews began work on sewer repairs in April 2024 as about 1,822 lots had inactive sewer service. With the addition of contractor Mocon Corp. in October, progress on the repairs ramped up, according to the county.

Now, a year after repairs began, all 3,526 sewered lots in West Maui are reportedly active.

Agawa said a number of agencies helped in work.

The Wahikuli Terrace lots were able to be brought online upon the completion of the Fleming Road sewer line by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in support of FEMA’s Kilohana temporary housing site.

The Fleming Road sewer line is also providing a long-term benefit to the community as residents along Fleming Road will soon be able to tie into the sewer line and disconnect from their cesspools, the county said.

FEMA Regional Administrator Bob Fenton said the building of 167 units took a tremendous effort, and it also supported neighboring communities by providing access to a new sewer system that will move them off cesspools.

A total of 28 properties along Fleming Road and Malo Street received sewer laterals to connect to the new sewer line.

Lt. Col. Joseph Kendall, deputy commander of the Army Corp’s Honolulu Distri, said this project marks a significant milestone in restoring essential infrastructure and supporting the long-term resilience of the community.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proud to have partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State of Hawaiʻi, the County of Maui, and their contractors to complete this vital sewer line project that plays a key role in the ongoing recovery from the Maui wildfires,” Kendall said.

Guidance for Fleming Road/Malo Street residents on tying into the sewer line is being completed by the county and will be announced soon, the county said.

To view the Sewer Service Status map, go to mauirecovers.org/wastewater. For questions regarding sewer status, call the Wastewater Reclamation Division at (808) 270-7417.