The fight over water is nothing new on Maui. But the impact on the county’s ability to battle fires is coming clear.
With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn’t come until too late.
Now the conflict includes opponents who do not want water to be used to fight fires, the governor said.
The opinions and desires of these ‘opponents’ is entirely irrelevant when it comes to emergency resources. The lives of those in immediate danger are far far more important than you getting to water your god damn plants.
Not sure how well this would work for Hawaiian cities, but San Francisco utilizes a network of cisterns in intersections that are ready to go if needed.
Old tech, but I’ve always found it a pretty brilliant idea.
In this new era, almost EVERY city has a reason to put those or similar measures in. Fires are only getting more widespread and intense as areas dry out more and more and experience record heat. It’s only a matter of time until another one threatens a major urban area.
Fucksake
Uh… fighting over water… on an… island…?
Unfortunately their economy would collapse if that happened. Tourism drives that state.
They would probably do better to invite tourists and use the money that comes in to build desalination plants. Israel has more than proven that any country with a coastline can have all the water they need, ten years ago everyone was predicting they’d be in water wars but now they’ve got such a good supply they’re selling it to neighbours. Even easier for a state with so much available geothermal.
According to the sources, Manuel wanted West Maui Land to get permission from a taro, or kalo, farm located downstream from the company’s property.
We are sooo fucked
