September 2019; WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — County officials have recommended settling with environmental groups that sued over the use of injection wells. Members of the Maui County Committee on Governance, Ethics, and Transparency voted 5-3 to recommend that the full council settle and remove the case ahead of U.S. Supreme Court consideration in November. See the rest of the article here... … Read More...
Rainfall & Drought
Climate change has brought about a change in rainfall patterns which is generally decreasing rain in formerly dry areas and increasing rainfall in the wet areas. We need to find ways to take advantage of these new patterns by capturing more of the rainfall and diverting it to the dryer areas.Rainfall Issues
The Aquifers
Much of Hawaii's pristine fresh water comes from its volcanic stone aquifers. The increasing demands for water from Hawaii's increased population and tourist industry, combined with rising ocean levels have shrunk the supply of fresh water in the aquifers, particularly on Oahu.Groundwater Issues
Rivers & Streams
The flow of fresh water streams and rivers in Hawaii have also significantly declined. At the same time, shrinking government funding has curtailed stream level tests and sampling so the decline is uncharted.Rivers & Streams Issues
Water Conservation
Water conservation is the key to preserving Hawaii's dwindling freshwater supply. Many mainland cities have successfully used new methods of conservation as part of their future water plans. Water rates need to be utilized which encourage users that are conserving water at the same time as punishing water wasters.Conservation Issues
News & Research
(Surface) Fresh Water in Hawaii
September 2019: (Editor Comment: This Bibliography was probably put together to help address all the issues of water in Maui) University of Maui College: This bibliography has been developed to support research on surface water rights in Hawai‘i, focusing particularly on works that detail the history and development of Hawaiian water rights. The intended audience are landowners, in Hawai‘i, … Read More...
How Water Footprints Can Help Us Eat Less Water
September 2019, (Editor Note: This article originally appeared in 2017 but is worth repeating because of its ability to demonstrate how much water we use without giving it much thought... In the future, this will have to change or the lack of water will negatively impact the quality of our lives...) By Robin Madel and Kai Olson-Sawyer , Senior Research and Policy Analysts at GRACE … Read More...
Maui County Running Out Of Time To Settle Clean Water Act Case
Aug 2019: Civil Beat: Author: Nathan Eagle; Maui County Council members are expected to decide Tuesday (3 Sept 2019) if they want to go against Mayor Michael Victorino and settle a major Clean Water Act case instead of letting a conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court decide it in November. The four environmental groups that brought the lawsuit delivered petitions this week with more than 15,000 … Read More...
Hawaii Climate Change Panel Discussion – April 25, 2019
July 2018 Climate Change Panel Discussion - April 25, 2019 APRIL 25, 2019 – Members of the Board of Water Supply Stakeholder Advisory Group had the opportunity to learn about the impact of climate change on Hawaii. Video Presentation Links (Vimeo) If you would like to watch a specific presentation or just the Q&A, please use the following Vimeo links. Presentation by Dr. Charles H. … Read More...