By BRIAN PERRY
Staff Writer
WAILUKU -- Maui County Council members will be taking an in-depth look at a resolution calling for a water meter moratorium and other measures to protect Iao aquifer, after the matter was referred unanimously to committee Monday.
The resolution was sent to the Public Works and Water Committee chaired by Council Member Alice Lee.
The draft requests that the Department of Water Supply impose a temporary moratorium on new water meters, increase public education efforts about the water resource, urge water conservation and put together a water allocation plan.
Driving the resolution is alarm that overpumping the Iao aquifer could lead to Central and South Maui's freshwater supply becoming contaminated by underlying brackish and salty water.
Last week, the state Commission on Water Resource Management decided not to take over management of Iao aquifer, but panel members voted to automatically ``designate'' the underground water source if pumping exceeds 20 million gallons per day, on average, over 12 months.
The last reported 12-month rolling average is 19.985 million gallons per day.
Kaupo resident Jonathan Starr praised the resolution as ``an excellent step in the right direction.''
Starr reiterated testimony given last week before the water commission, making his case that the aquifer's ability to yield sweet water is ``quite a bit lower'' than the official limit of 20 mgd. He said the amount of water entering the aquifer is only 15 mgd, and Maui is the only place he's aware of where an aquifer's yield is greater than its infiltration rate.
Maui Meadows resident Jim Williamson supported a moratorium on water meters, but added he doesn't believe one would work unless it were coupled with a hold on new building permits.
``Otherwise, building will go ahead, and then the county will be under considerable pressure to allow water to be connected and I bet it will be,'' he said.
Haiku resident Jim Smith said the council and mayor should be enforcing a county ordinance that would allocate water resources and regulate water use.
Wailuku resident Sally Raisbeck said she supports state control of Iao because the triad of powers with control over water on Maui -- the mayor, council members and the Board of Water Supply -- ``are far more interested in not interfering with the development climate than with protecting water resources.''
Wailuku Heights resident Glenn Shepherd said state and county water officials don't really know the extent of Iao aquifer or its actual yield because there's not enough data.
A sustainable yield of 20 mgd ``is one big fat guess,'' he said.
Shepherd called it ``reckless endangering'' to continue pumping the aquifer without knowing its true safe ability to provide water.
Williamson said the Iao water situation should force rethinking of the Kihei-Makena Community Plan update, which would require ``prodigious amounts of potable water.'' If water demand increases just 1 mgd per year, the Central and South Maui would need 30 mgd in a decade, he said.
``No way do we have a realistic plan to supply this amount of water,'' he said.
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