Residents in certain Upper Kula areas are being advised to boil their water following a main line break caused by heavy rains. The County of Maui Department of Water Supply (DWS) issued a notice after a winter storm led to disruptions in service. Those in the vicinity, including Ihe Place to Kanaio Road, Lower Kula Road, ʻIoʻio Place, and Upper Nāʻalae Road, are affected if they experienced either a service outage or low water pressure during the storm from Thursday to yesterday, according to official communications.
The DWS expects the water service outage to continue until 7 p.m. today and has positioned potable water tankers at the bottom of Copp Road and Kula Highway, as well as at other locations including the Kula Community Center and Ching Store. Those who did not lose water service during the recent storm are not subject to the boil water advisory.
To ensure safety, residents should bring all water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before allowing it to cool for use, or alternatively, use bottled water. This precaution is for activities such as drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, food preparation, and even showering. DWS outlined these boiling instructions and usage guidelines in their announcement.
Following repairs to the pipeline, the DWS will start flushing and sampling the water, a process that requires 24 hours for test results to be processed. DWS assured, that they will provide daily updates after each sampling period. Customers will be informed when bacteria tests confirm the water is safe, and the advisory is lifted.
The severe weather conditions on Thursday and Friday hindered DWS crews from fully assessing the extent of the damage. For more information, DWS Administrative Officer Adam Mundy can be contacted at (808) 270-8046 during business hours. In case of water service emergencies, the 24-hour service line is available at (808) 270-7633. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Hotline also offers general guidelines on minimizing the risk of microbial infection and can be reached at 1 (800) 426-4791.
