Process Begins for Maui County to Acquire a Portion of Wailuku Water Company

News Release from County of Maui, October 10, 2018

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawai`i – Today, the Arakawa administration transmitted a request for funding and approval to Maui County Council members, in order to purchase land and easements owned by Wailuku Water Company (WWC).

Should funds be approved, it would allow the county to obtain approximately 8,764 acres of WWC land in the West Maui watershed area along with its water conveyance system. The proposed acquisition price is $9.5 million.

Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa announced back in 2016 that WWC officials were willing to sell half of their property along with the water conveyance infrastructure that was on it, and requested that Maui County Council members approve funds to assess the land. The assessment came back earlier this month at $11.1 million.

"That assessment proves that the community is getting a good deal if we pay $9.5 million instead of the actual assessed value of $11.1 million," said Mayor Arakawa. "This land purchase will benefit the community in many ways, including facilitating the return of surface water to streams and rivers, improving the county's own public water system, helping to protect the historical and cultural aspects of Iao Valley as well as take precious water resources from a private entity and placing them into public hands."

Purchase of the property and its assets are subject to approval by Maui County Council members, who have full authority to approve or reject the request.