Unsafe Water Advisory lifted for portion of Lahaina
News Release from County of Maui, June 13, 2024
The Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina was amended to remove area L-6B, County of Maui Department of Water Supply Deputy Director Kimo Landgraf announced Wednesday evening during the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at the Lahaina Civic Center social hall.
Water serving buildings and homes in area L-6B is declared safe for unrestricted use effective June 12, 2024. The area includes properties primarily along Honoapi`ilani Highway and Ainakea Road, from Wahikuli Road to Kaniau Road.
Residents can search their address using the interactive Water Advisory Map on the County’s Maui Recovers website at www.mauirecovers.org/water to confirm whether their address is in an advisory area.
Water may have stagnated in the plumbing of homes and buildings within the L-6B area, so the Department of Water Supply recommends customers flush their lines to remove any standing water in plumbing and pipes. Lines can be flushed by opening valves and letting the faucets run for at least 10 minutes.
Areas L-5, L-6 and L-6A of the fire-impacted area in Lahaina remain under the Unsafe Water Advisory until further notice. Customers within the advisory area should continue to NOT drink or boil their tap water. Boiling, freezing, filtering, adding chlorine or other disinfectants or letting water stand will not make the water safe. Bottled water or potable water provided by the County of Maui must be used for drinking (including making baby formula and juice), brushing teeth, making ice and food preparation. Customers in the advisory area are also advised to limit water use for hygiene purposes such as showers. Failure to follow the advisory could result in illness.
The Unsafe Water Advisory was issued Aug. 11, 2023, as a precautionary measure due to the unknown impacts of the August 2023 Maui wildfires on the drinking water system in the area. Structures in the water system were destroyed by the fire, and some areas in the system experienced water pressure loss. These conditions may have caused harmful contaminants to enter the water system.
The County Department of Water Supply has been working closely with the Hawai`i State Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete its Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) investigation, isolate the system from fire damaged structures to ensure minimal potential from any contamination, and conduct ongoing water quality sampling and testing at key points throughout the system. The decision to amend the Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina was based on multiple lines of evidence collected through this process.
For more information about the Unsafe Water Advisory, the Department of Water Supply’s VOC investigation, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, visit https://www.mauirecovers.org/recovers/water.
Visit the Maui Recovers website
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Progress with restoration of Lahaina water, wastewater services and other important updates shared
News Release from County of Maui, June 13, 2024
The County of Maui Office of Recovery and federal recovery officials shared several important updates for Lahaina residents at the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Lahaina Civic Center social hall.
County announcements included lifting the Unsafe Water Advisory for a portion of Lahaina, amending sewer service status for certain parcels, fully reopening the first disaster zone and assisting with the installation of three mobile outdoor warning sirens.
U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) provided an update on its drinking water sampling operations, as well as resources for Wahikuli Houselots Subdivision cesspool inspections.
To view the recorded livestream of the June 12 community meeting, visit the County of Maui Facebook page; no account is needed to view the meeting.
Unsafe Water Advisory removed for portion of Lahaina: County Department of Water Supply Deputy Director Kimo Landgraf announced that the Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina was removed for area L-6B. Water serving buildings and homes in this area was declared safe for unrestricted use effective June 12, 2024. Residents can use the interactive Water Advisory Map to confirm whether their address is in an advisory area at https://www.mauirecovers.org/water. For more information, https://www.mauirecovers.org/news.
Sewer service amendments for certain parcels: County Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Shayne Agawa announced the Wastewater Reclamation Division has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active for a property, in the following areas:
- June 7, 2024: Five parcels near Baby Beach off of Kai Pali Place: Area makai of Honoapiʻilani Highway, north of Kapunakea Street including parcels on Olona Place, Hoapili Street, Huea Street, Keao Street, and Front Street.
- May 24, 2024 (this update was previously made during the Homeowners Webinar that was held on May 30, 2024): Area north of Lahainaluna Road including parcels off of Kahena Street, Kalena Street, Kahako Street, Kaʻakepa Street, Ka’akolu Street, and Ka’alo Place. One parcel off of Kupuohi Street. Area in Kapunakea including parcels off of Ainakea Road, Kahoma Street, Nahale Place, and Hiki Place.
Some wastewater infrastructure was damaged during the fire, which cut off wastewater service for many properties in fire-impacted areas. To determine if wastewater service is impacted, visit https://www.mauirecovers.org/wastewaterand enter the address.
Please note, some areas may have changed from “red” to “gray” on this map, meaning those areas have been identified as not being a sewered parcel; or from “gray” to “light blue,” meaning the areas have been identified as not having County sewer service. The update specifically points out the Wahikuli Houselots Subdivision as not currently being a County-sewered area.DEM anticipates continuing amending areas in Lahaina impacted by the August 2023 wildfires in coming weeks and months. If you have any questions regarding your sewer status, please call the Wastewater Reclamation Division at (808) 270-7417.
Lahaina Disaster Area access: Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) announced that it reopened its first Lahaina Disaster Area zone on Komo Mai Street at 8 a.m. June 12, and the checkpoint on Keawe Street has moved up to Lui Street. Komo Mai is not a through street at this time because it terminates in restricted areas. Residents and contractors do not need vehicle passes to enter this area.
Installation of three temporary sirens: Everett Balmores of MEMA announced that MEMA staff partnered with HI-EMA and Federal Signal Corporation to deploy and make operational three mobile outdoor warning sirens in Lahaina. The sirens are located at: The Boys and Girls Club; Kelawea Mauka Park; and near Wastewater Pump Station 3 adjacent to Wahikuli Terrace Park.
EPA drinking water sampling mission update: EPA’s Incident Commander Dawn Ison announced that EPA recently completed drinking water sampling in the wildfire-impacted areas of Lahaina, which is a critical step in helping the County restore drinking water services to the community. This included sampling of 1,306 lateral lines and 135 hydrants. The County uses data from the sampling results to evaluate whether it is appropriate to amend the Unsafe Water Advisories.If contamination is detected or if a lateral is too damaged to be sampled, the line will be isolated from the main distribution line and marked for future replacement. As of yesterday, 441 laterals have been cleared, 457 have been isolated, 178 are awaiting isolation, 79 are being deferred to the County, and the EPA is awaiting the results of 151 samples.
Wahikuli cesspool inspection resources: EPA’s Maui Wildfire Recovery Coordinator/Sustainability Advisor Sebastian Rodriguez announced EPA has secured funding and will be offering inspection services through a local contractor for homes serviced by cesspools in the Wahikuli Houselots Subdivision.
This program is designed to assist homeowners in satisfying Hawai‘i Department of Health’s March 19 Guidance for Existing Cesspool Use in Wahikuli; it provides a free option for interested homeowners to comply with the March 19 guidance as appropriate; and the program is voluntary— homeowners may withdraw from the program at any time.
Interested homeowners will need to complete a right of entry form granting EPA and its contractors access to their property to complete the inspection. For more information, and to find the appropriate forms, visit https://www.mauirecovers.org/wastewater under the header “Resources for Wahikuli Houselots Subdivision Cesspool Inspections.” Property owners with cesspools in Wahikuli who do not wish to participate in the program should consult with a licensed engineer/plumber, in accordance with the March 19 guidance, at their expense.
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County announces amended sewer service status for several areas of West Maui
News Release from Office of the Mayor, May 16, 2024
The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Wastewater Reclamation Division announced today that it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active for a property, in the following areas:
- The area of Pump Station #7, which services the Puamana neighborhood
- Parcels south of Lahainaluna Road and Paunau Street (mauka of Honoapiʻilani Highway)
- Parcels on Olona Place, which includes the Lahaina Roads Apartments
Please note, some areas may have changed from “red” to “gray” on this map, meaning the division has identified these areas as not having County sewer.
Some wastewater infrastructure was damaged during the fires, which cut off wastewater service for many properties in fire-impacted areas. To determine if wastewater service for your home or business is impacted, please visit mauirecovers.org/wastewater and type your address in the search bar on the County of Maui Sewer Service Status interactive map.
DEM anticipates continuing amending areas in Lahaina impacted by the August 2023 wildfires in coming weeks and months. If you have any questions regarding your sewer status, please call the Wastewater Reclamation Division at (808) 270-7417.
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CLUE: Sewer service is not needed to BEGIN rebuilding. It is needed by the end of rebuilding. Yet it is used as an excuse to prevent people from returning to their lots. All part of the plan to make you leave.
MN: County announces amended sewer service status for several areas of West Maui
April 22, 2024: Lahaina Burn Zone Water System – All Lines Re-pressurized
HPR: 1st Lahaina disaster zone reopens as recovery efforts continue