Aia i ka`ōpua ke ola (There is life in the clouds.)
Water conservation is something we all can practice. Except for the air we breath, water is the single most important element in our lives. It is too precious to waste.
Here are some simple suggestions to help you save hundreds, even thousands, of gallons per month. Do one thing each day to save water. Don’t worry if the savings seem minimal, every drop counts, and every person will make a difference.
Run your clothes and dish washer only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.
Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your hair and save 25-300 gallons a month.
Use a hose nozzle or turn off the water while you wash your car and save up to 100 gallons every time.
Sweep instead of hose your lanai and sidewalks and save 25 gallons of water for every 5 minutes of hosing.
You are in control. START TODAY!
To find out how much water you use at home visit http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html.
Water is not a scarce resource on Maui. US Geological Survey water resource records indicate that the island of Maui has an available fresh water supply amounting to exactly one-half of the entire state’s fresh water resources.
CWRM summary findings report that 88 percent of all of Maui’s fresh groundwater supply and 97 percent of the entire island’s surface water supply is diverted and controlled by a handful of agricultural companies – namely, A&B, HC&S, and their subsidiaries. Due to their grandfathered water rights and despite their lack of need, these entities still control the majority of Maui’s water, even while the island experiences increasingly frequent droughts and residents are faced with tightening water restrictions.
For merely $5 per million gallons, East Maui Irrigation (EMI) Company, a subsidiary of A&B, diverts roughly 200 million gallons per day (mgd) for irrigation of its crops. Hawaii Commercial and Sugar (HC&S) takes roughly 6 mgd, Maui Land and Pineapple Company (MLP) takes about 2 mgd, and the left over 6 mgd goes to the County of Maui to supply all of the upcountry areas with potable water. Very little water (insufficient quantities) remains for local taro production.
Out of 312.82 million gallons per day (mgd) available on Maui, the county’s municipal water supply (including all residents and commercial businesses that do not have a private water source) amounts to roughly 36.93 mgd, only 11.80 percent of the island’s total water usage.
I might add that HC&S operates at an annual loss and only stays afloat through federal subsidies.
So, I ask, what is EMI and HC&S doing to conserve water?