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Lahaina desperately needs federal, state, county, and private parties working together. Since 2014, I have advocated for reclaimed water to be returned to Lahaina for agriculture and forestry to keep our community safe from wildfires.
When I asked Kamehameha School/Bishop Estate why they had not done anything about the fallow agricultural land surrounding Lahaina, they informed me they needed a reliable source of water for irrigation. After discussing options with a former Pioneer Mill employee, I learned that the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility has infrastructure to pump reclaimed treated water up to existing reservoirs and the sugarcane ditch system that could return the water to Lahaina for irrigation. Speaking with reclamation experts in Washington DC, they agreed, this was a viable option.
So, for the past 10 years I have written letters to local, state, and federal officials and newspapers advocating for this source of reliable irrigation water for Lahaina's arid lands.
Though we escaped through black smoke and flames. Though our neighborhood had the highest percentage of deaths, what wakes me up at night in terror are dreams about the fire coming back after we have rebuilt.
That nightmare is a reality unless we do something to mitigate this fire-prone region. Using treated water for irrigation is a responsible response to make the best use of our resources for public safety and well-being.
I hope you can be a part of the solution to make Lahaina safe in the future.
Michele Lincoln
Lahaina