Upcountry Maui residents are pressing county and state leaders to move faster on basic water security, not just big, long-term projects. On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the Kula Community Association and an alliance of Upcountry groups urged Maui County and Hawaiʻi legislators to fund immediate, localized infrastructure in Upper Kula.
Their ask is straightforward but sizable: two 500,000-gallon tanks that together create a 1,000,000-gallon emergency reserve, designed to operate independently of the power grid. Organizers framed the proposal as a near-term resilience fix to protect residents and firefighters while larger regional upgrades wind through federal and state processes.
Coalition’s pitch
During a formal briefing to county and state officials, coalition members argued that small, “shovel-ready” projects can plug serious gaps left by slower, long-range planning.
"We cannot rely solely on projects that could take a decade to complete," Kula Community Association board president Jordan Hocker told officials, urging councilmembers and legislators to work directly with local experts on how to pay for the work.
The groups highlighted a circulating tank design they say would keep water fresher, protect quality and cut down on the need to flush lines after a wildfire or major break, according to Maui Now.
Wildfires exposed system weaknesses
Recurring Upcountry fires since 2018, along with the catastrophic August 8, 2023 wildfires, exposed vulnerabilities in island water systems and damaged drinking water infrastructure in Lahaina and parts of Upper Kula, federal recovery pages note.
The Environmental Protection Agency details water system impacts from the 2023 fires and describes technical assistance provided to local systems, while Maui County’s CDBG‑DR action plan flags critical water infrastructure as an urgent, disaster-related need that can tap recovery funding and coordination.
Where funding and action could come from
The tank proposal lands at a moment when county leaders are already trying to pull more water assets under public control. This spring, Maui County announced steps to acquire West Maui water infrastructure from Maui Land & Pineapple as part of a broader resiliency push that officials say would strengthen both emergency response and long-term planning.
Upcountry residents, meanwhile, have been living with the sharp end of scarcity. Recent droughts have brought strict conservation rules, including a Stage 3 water shortage last October, underscoring why locals are pushing for faster, deployable fixes instead of waiting on decade-long timelines.
What’s next
The Kula Community Association (founded in 1953) anchored the briefing, and the Upcountry Coalition outlined collaborators that include the Kula Community Watershed Alliance, Pukalani Community Association, Mālama Kula, the Maui Cattlemen’s Association and the Kīhei Community Association, according to the coalition.
Organizers said they will continue pressing county staff and state lawmakers to pinpoint eligible budget and disaster recovery streams, and to lock in a construction timeline for the tanks. They added that they look forward to working with officials to move a concrete plan into place, as reported by Maui Now.
