West Maui Water Facts & FAQs

Water scarcity in West Maui is a hot topic with myths and falsehoods circulating widely. Find essential facts here. Share them, use them and talk about them to help counter mis- and disinformation.

Water shortages in West Maui are due to low precipitation in the Puʻu Kukui watershed.

Fact: Water is scarce because MLP has failed to honor its promises to maintain the infrastructure used to collect, carry, and store it properly. Precipitation in the Puʻu Kukui watershed is anything but “low.” The Puʻu Kukui region receives an average of 225 inches of rain per year, and the annual mean discharge of the Honokōhau Stream was slightly higher in 2024 than it was in 2009, when MLP first promised that there would always be enough irrigation water for all of West Maui. For comparison, the “wettest city in the U.S.,” Hilo, Hawaiʻi receives an average of 130 inches of rain per year.

The Honokōhau ditch system was repaired so inefficiency of the system is not a cause of the water shortages. 

Fact: In May 2021, CWRM adopted interim instream flow standards (“IIFS”) for Honokōhau Stream. According to the CWRM staff report for this proceeding, MLP had not replaced the existing intake at Diversion 770, which was damaged in the 2019 storm, as ordered by CWRM two years earlier. This finding contradicted MLP’s statements to the press in 2020 that it had completed CWRM-ordered repair activities at a cost of $300,000 to $400,000 resulting in a “renewed ditch system.”  Put more plainly, CRWM’s finding confirmed that MLP lied to the public, and to other parties like TY who had contracted with MLP to operate and maintain the Ditch System, about fixing it. Google Earth images and pictures from recent site visits show deterioration of visible portions of the ditch, access roads, and reservoirs.

Most of Maui is experiencing a historic drought so that’s why there is no water. 

Fact: Maui’s different water systems face different challenges. The Upcountry system depends heavily on surface water and is experiencing shortages, which makes the use of backup wells necessary. By contrast, West Maui’s water system is separate, with distinct watershed dynamics and rainfall patterns. In West Maui, resources have remained sufficient since the closure of plantation agriculture, but the community has not had the same level of backup supply options when system stresses occur. This is why timely repairs, consistent management, and investment in West Maui’s delivery infrastructure are critical to ensure long-term sustainability of the region’s resources.

State regulators blocked all repairs of MLP’s system.

Fact: MLP does not need a permit to conduct normal maintenance of the ditch (HAR Section 13-168-32). Further, state regulations allow for emergency channel alteration without a permit to repair or restore structures damaged by a sudden and unforeseen event (HAR Section 13-169-55). While some diversions were ordered abandoned to restore natural flow (Honolua/Kaluanui), CWRM simultaneously directed specific upgrades to the Honokōhau intake to enable lawful, controlled deliveries.

Kapalua golf courses are using County drinking water at residents’ expense. 

Fact: The Plantation and Bay courses buy non-potable irrigation water from the Honokōhau Ditch under contracts with MLP — not potable water.

Saving the Kapalua golf courses is as easy as turning the water back on. 

Fact: Turfgrass biology is very sensitive to repeated drought cycles. While turning the water back on is an important first step to allow the golf courses to start recovering, it is not enough by itself for a full restoration. Turfgrass that has already endured over 100 days without irrigation is very fragile and, aside from steady irrigation, recovery depends on consistent care, weather conditions, and time. Surviving one prolonged dormancy already depleted the turf’s energy reserves, and if irrigation is stopped again, its ability to survive will be greatly diminished, making recovery nearly impossible.