Drought leaves extreme low flows in East Maui streams; debate sparked over emergency easing of stream flow standards – Maui Now

Report on East Maui Water Crisis and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A protracted and severe drought in East Maui is causing historic low flows in regional streams, presenting a critical challenge to the region’s environmental stability, community well-being, and economic viability. This situation directly impacts the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). This report details the crisis, its multifaceted impacts, and the strategic responses being considered by state and county officials.

Impact on Water Access and Sanitation (SDG 6) and Community Resilience (SDG 11)

The drought has severely compromised the availability and sustainable management of water, a core target of SDG 6. The strain on water resources has directly affected community resilience, a key component of SDG 11.

• Domestic Water Supply: The Maui County Department of Water Supply has been forced to impose stringent water restrictions on Upcountry residents, including a Stage 3 alert limiting water use to public health and safety needs. This underscores the vulnerability of the domestic water supply chain.
• Record Low Stream Flows: Data presented to the Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) indicates an unprecedented decline in water levels.
  1. The Honopou Stream gauge, operational since the 1920s, recorded flows below the Q95 level (the flow equaled or exceeded 95% of the time) for 150 days in one year.
  2. The stream’s dependable base flow has plummeted from 1.3 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 0.3 cfs in recent years, with all-time record lows of 0.1 to 0.18 cfs.
  3. The Upper Kula water system gauge recorded zero flow for several months, eliminating a source that historically provided 500,000 gallons per day.

Threats to Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2)

The water shortage poses a significant threat to local food production, challenging the objectives of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). The island’s largest agricultural operator, Mahi Pono, which is focused on diversified agriculture, has been acutely affected.

• Cessation of Surface Water: Due to an agreement prioritizing domestic use, Mahi Pono has received no surface water for its Central Maui farming operations for over two months.
• Unsustainable Groundwater Reliance: To continue crop irrigation, the company has increased groundwater pumping from the Central Maui ʻĪao aquifer system. This has raised significant concerns regarding SDG 6 targets for sustainable water withdrawal.
  • Pumping from the Kahului aquifer reportedly reached 13 million gallons per day (mgd), far exceeding its sustainable yield of 1 mgd.
  • Pumping from the Pāʻia aquifer reached up to 25 mgd against a sustainable yield of 7 mgd.
• Risk of Aquifer Contamination: This level of over-pumping creates a severe risk of saltwater intrusion, which could permanently contaminate the freshwater aquifer, jeopardizing long-term water and food security for the entire island.

Challenges to Ecosystems and Biodiversity (SDG 15)

The debate over managing the crisis highlights the tension between human water needs and the preservation of ecosystems, a central theme of SDG 15 (Life on Land) and related freshwater ecosystem goals.

• Proposed Modification of In-Stream Flow Standards: CWRM officials have suggested temporarily modifying in-stream flow standards—the minimum water required to protect aquatic habitats—as an emergency measure to secure drinking water.
• Community Opposition: This proposal was met with opposition from community groups, who argue that many streams are already suffering from water exportation and that further reductions would harm native aquatic species and violate community water rights.
• Balancing Human and Environmental Needs: The conflict underscores the difficulty in balancing the immediate needs of communities with the long-term imperative to protect biodiversity and ensure the health of freshwater ecosystems.

Climate Change as a Root Cause (SDG 13)

The underlying driver of the drought is a long-term climatic shift, making this a clear case of climate change impacts that demand urgent adaptation strategies as called for in SDG 13 (Climate Action).

• Shifting Wind Patterns: Climate studies show a decades-long trend of prevailing northeasterly trade winds shifting to more easterly patterns.
• Disruption of Orographic Rainfall: This shift has altered the location of orographic rainfall, moving the primary precipitation zone away from the historical water catchment systems and ditches built a century ago, effectively rendering parts of the infrastructure less effective.

Infrastructure and Policy Responses for Sustainable Management (SDG 6 & SDG 9)

In response to the crisis, the Maui County Department of Water Supply is pursuing infrastructure upgrades and new projects to build resilience, aligning with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 6.

1. Treatment Plant Upgrades: Increasing capacity at the Kamole Water Treatment Plant by replacing old filters with new technology to process more water from the Wailoa Ditch.
2. Increased Storage Capacity: Designing two new reservoirs at the Kamole plant to add a combined 140 million gallons of storage, a top priority for federal funding.
3. Diversifying Water Sources: Activating wells in Hamakuapoko and exploring the purchase or lease of private wells, as well as drilling new county wells, to create a more robust and diversified water system.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
     
     Explanation: The article highlights the struggle to maintain the drinking water supply for Upcountry residents, leading to Stage 3 restrictions that limit water use to “public health and safety only.” This directly relates to ensuring access to safe drinking water.
   • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
     
     Explanation: The entire article revolves around water scarcity due to a “severe and protracted drought.” The discussion of historic low stream flows, water restrictions, and the over-pumping of groundwater aquifers by agricultural users like Mahi Pono points to the challenges of managing water stress and ensuring sustainable withdrawals.
   • Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels.
     
     Explanation: The involvement of the Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) in weighing options, considering revisions to in-stream flow standards, and balancing the needs of residents, farmers, and the ecosystem demonstrates an effort towards integrated water resources management.
   • Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
     
     Explanation: The article discusses the historic low flows in East Maui streams and the potential emergency measure of modifying in-stream flow standards. This directly concerns the health and protection of river ecosystems and the native aquatic species that depend on them.

2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought…
     
     Explanation: The drought has forced Mahi Pono, the “island’s largest farm business,” to stop using surface water and rely on pumping groundwater “hundreds of percent over sustainable yield.” This practice is not sustainable and threatens food production systems’ resilience to drought.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
     
     Explanation: The article identifies the root cause of the drought as a climate-related shift in prevailing wind patterns. The response from the Maui County Department of Water Supply—planning new reservoirs, upgrading treatment plants, and drilling new wells—represents efforts to build resilience and adapt to these climate-related hazards.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands.
     
     Explanation: The article’s focus on “historic low flows in East Maui streams” and the debate over modifying in-stream flow standards directly relates to the conservation and sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems. The mention of native aquatic species highlights the biodiversity dependent on these streams.

5. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.
     
     Explanation: The article details plans to improve water infrastructure to cope with the drought. This includes increasing capacity at the Kamole Water Treatment Plant, building two new reservoirs to add 140 million gallons of storage, and drilling new county wells. These actions are aimed at developing more resilient water infrastructure.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Indicator for Target 6.4: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources.
     
     Explanation: The article provides specific data points that measure water stress. For example, it reports that Mahi Pono is pumping “up to 13 million gallons per day from the Kahului aquifer, which has a sustainable yield of 1 mgd,” indicating withdrawals are 1300% of the sustainable yield. This is a direct measure of extreme water stress.
   • Indicator for Target 6.6: Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time.
     
     Explanation: The article provides quantitative data on stream flows, which can serve as a proxy for the health and extent of these ecosystems. It notes the dependable base flow (Q95) of Honopou Stream has dropped from “1.3 cubic feet per second… to just 0.3 cfs.” It also mentions the gauge at the Upper Kula water system was “recording zero flow for much of the past few months.” These metrics can track the degradation or restoration of these ecosystems.

2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Indicator for Target 2.4: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
     
     Explanation: While not a direct UN indicator, the article implies a measure of sustainability by highlighting Mahi Pono’s shift from surface water to unsustainable groundwater pumping. The fact that the farm received “no surface water for the last two months” and is over-pumping aquifers indicates a move away from sustainable agricultural practices. Tracking the source and volume of water used for irrigation versus sustainable limits would be a relevant indicator.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Indicator for Target 13.1: Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.
     
     Explanation: The article implies the development of a local strategy to combat a climate-related hazard (drought). The actions being considered and implemented by the CWRM and the Maui County Department of Water Supply, such as pre-identifying an action plan for extreme drought and investing in new infrastructure, are components of such a strategy.

4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Indicator for Target 9.1: (Implied) Investment in and capacity of resilient infrastructure.
     
     Explanation: The article provides specific metrics for infrastructure development. This includes the planned addition of “storage capacity of 140 million gallons” from two new reservoirs and the project’s estimated cost of “$25 million.” These figures can be used to measure progress in building resilient water infrastructure.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: mauinow.com