First, the Hawaii Supreme Court has affirmed that all water in Hawaii is subject to the public trust. That means the state must apportion water for the benefit of all of its citizens in accordance with certain designated priorities. Maintaining natural stream flow is a top commitment, giving local farmers and residents high-use priority. Private commercial developments on the dry side of islands receive lower priority. There are other implications about water that command our attention.
Water is life.
It may be surprising, but neither the state nor the county knows for sure how much water we have, how much we use, how fast it is being replenished or how fast it is being depleted. All that we do know is that, worldwide, we are drawing down our fresh water supplies much faster than we are replacing them. It asked the court to direct the Maui County Board of Water Supply to conduct its future operations in the public eye and to declare its prior actions as having failed to do so. The lawsuit is not over nor is it moot. Water allocation issues continue to have a major impact on the lives of our residents.