Who knew water-fixture rules could be such a big problem?

by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., President / CEO Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

When my good friend the late Dick Rowland founded the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii 23 years ago, he purposely chose the singular form of “grassroot” for the organization’s name, instead of the more common plural use, because he believed in the power and importance of the individual.

A good example of that is how listening to and investigating the struggles of just one person led to the Grassroot Institute recently producing a policy brief that could benefit the lives of many.

Released earlier this week, its title is “How fixes to Maui’s water-fixture policy could ease its housing crisis.” At first blush, that might not sound like an interesting topic, but I promise, the report is worth a quick read.

It originated with a complaint from Syd Smith, owner of Maliko Estate Coffee in Upcountry Maui and a member of the County Council’s Agriculture Working Group.

Talking with my Grassroot colleague Joe Kent in March on the former “Hawaii Together” program on ThinkTech Hawaii, Smith lamented Maui County’s extremely long wait times and high fees to obtain water meters and add fixtures needed to renovate older homes or build ohana units.

Water fixtures are appliances that use water, such as kitchen sinks, dishwashers, toilets, showers and outdoor faucets called hose bibs. They are assigned scores, measured in water-fixture units, that are supposedly based on how much water each is estimated to use. Maui County sets the maximum number of water-fixture units allowed per water meter, which it charges to install.

Unfortunately, Maui County’s fees for water meters and water-fixture units are among the highest in the state, and the county’s water-fixture-unit scores have not been updated since 1995.

For example, the Uniform Plumbing Code of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials rates hose bibs at 2.5 fixture units, with each additional bib at 1 fixture unit. Maui County, on the other hand, rates all hose bibs at 3 fixture units. Additionally, the Uniform Plumbing Code assigns dishwashers a lower score than toilets, whereas Maui County does the opposite.

Maui's higher water-fixture unit scores for various fixtures quickly add up, which can force property owners to purchase larger water meters to accommodate more fixtures.

To that point, Smith told Joe that where she lives, needing a new water meter necessitates joining the “dreaded Upcountry water meter list” — a process so drawn-out that, as she remarked, “Everybody knows you’re probably going to die before you ever get to the top.”

To help ease Maui County's housing crisis, the Grassroot report recommends updating or eliminating the county’s water-fixture-unit requirements and transferring ownership and management of water meters from the county to Maui homeowners.

Homeowners could work with licensed plumbers to determine a water meter’s capabilities, and would be motivated to ensure their water-fixture usage didn’t go over that limit.

In the grand scheme of Hawaii's pervasive housing crisis, Maui County’s water-fixture rules might seem like a small, obscure issue. But making the right fixes to this unique barrier could make a big difference toward increasing the county’s much-need housing supply.

E hana kākou! (Let's work together!)