The Maui County Council’s Water and Infrastructure Committee returned a bill to the Board of Water Supply that would allow concurrent review of subdivision construction plans before water availability is confirmed. Committee members and testifiers questioned whether the change is legally necessary, since the department may already have that flexibility.
- Bill 1 (2026) would let the Department of Water Supply review subdivision construction plans at the same time as other departments, rather than waiting for written water source verification.
- Supporters say the bill streamlines permitting without removing the county’s ‘Show Me the Water’ requirement, which would still apply before final approval.
- The department’s chief engineer said the agency can operate under either approach and does not see the bill as creating additional work.
- Critics, including a Board of Water Supply member, argued the bill is unnecessary and no clear statutory problem has been identified to justify the change.
- The committee sent the bill back to the Water Board for further review rather than advancing it.
Source: Maui Now
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