Posted on: Friday, December 6, 2002

Upcountry Maui under drought warning

By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor

Low reservoir levels and the prospect of El Nino moved the Maui County Board of Water Supply to declare a drought emergency Wednesday for the Upcountry area, which relies on surface water sources.

Upcountry residents are being asked to voluntarily conserve water. Although the island has been enjoying light rains in recent weeks, reservoirs serving the Upcountry area are running low, said Department of Water Supply spokeswoman Jacky Takakura. "The rains have been falling mainly on the lower elevations below the reservoirs," she said.

The 30-million-gallon Waika-moi Reservoir is empty, Taka-kura said, and the 100-million-gallon Kahakapao Reservoirs are at 45 percent capacity.

The drought emergency allows the county water department to pump water from two wells in Hamakuapoko that are the subject of a long-running court battle involving environmental concerns. A judge earlier ruled that while the case is pending, the county could use the wells if a drought emergency has been declared.

Takakura said water officials fear that drought conditions will persist, as the National Weather Service and other scientists have forecast a dry winter because of the El Nino weather phenomenon, caused by warmer water temperatures in the Pacific.