Some populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month.
FILE - Volunteers make food, bottle water and supply deliveries to elderly residents impacted by a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 19, 2023. Residents of Maui are eager to learn when they can expect safe drinking water to be restored in the wake of last months catastrophic wildfires, but extensive testing is still needed and officials are urging patience.
Some areas under the unsafe water advisory could be cleared to use their tap water in a couple of weeks, said John Stufflebean, director of the Maui County Department of Water Supply. “As you move closer to the middle of the water system where structures were destroyed, you’ll likely see higher levels of contamination,” he said.
That was the case in Paradise, California, the city almost completely destroyed in the Camp Fire. Main lines buried several feet underground were OK, though water utility assistant district manager Mickey Rich said small sections were damaged when lost pressure sucked in smoke and contaminants. Seventeen miles of the town's 172 miles of main lines were contaminated and await replacement, and the city is still replacing service lines five years after the blaze.
Kowar just returned from a trip to Maui alongside othesr from Louisville and Paradise where they met with the Department of Water Supply to share knowledge about what to test for and how to decontaminate the system. When Stufflebean mentioned that a map for the water advisory was on the department's website, some frustration could be heard: “Some people do not have internet,” one person responded.
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After Maui's wildfires, thousands brace for long process of restoring safe water serviceSome populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month
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After Maui's wildfires, thousands brace for long process of restoring safe water serviceSome populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month
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After Maui's wildfires, thousands brace for long process of restoring safe water serviceSome populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month
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