Maui's reefs are in trouble.  Wastewater systems commonly employ outdated technology like injection wells and cesspool disposal methods.  Maui needs a large infusion of cash and leadership to quickly employ appropriate conventional and innovative treatment technologies to reduce oxygen demanding substances, nutrients, bacteria and toxic chemicals to groundwater and ocean waters.  We estimate that it will take about $314M to take Maui's wastewater infrastructure into the third millennium.  The cost breakdown goes something like this:

$6 Million to install new Ultraviolet Disinfection capability to treat 100% of the effluent flowing into nearshore injection wells at the Kahului-Wailuku municipal Wastewater Reclamation Facility

$10 Million for a new Ma'alaea Regional Wastewater Reclamation System to replace private treatment facilities and reliance upon injection wells in the Village with a cutting-edge Membrane Bioreactor modular treatment plant discharging to condominium landscape irrigation.  Any excess high quality reuse water will irrigate a new 8-acre mauka native agroforest greenbelt that will serve as a fire and wind break for the community while reducing sediment transport by fixing the soil with landscape stabilizing plants.

$175 Million to upgrade 12,000 residential cesspools in Maui at about $15K each, using the decentralized MBR approach with 100% irrigation reuse to be demonstrated in Ma'alaea Village.

$123 Million for required wastewater reclamation facility upgrades, land acquisition, turf scrubber install, and 1100+ acres of food agroforest irrigation and planting for 100% municipal reuse in Maui Island.

We believe that this can be achieved in part through private tax-deductible funding and the Memorandum of Agreement legal process, by which the Maui County Mayor, Corporation Counsel, Department of Environmental Management may enter into an agreement with a private philanthropist to make a one time tax-deductible donation through a prominent local marine resource nonprofit and fix this entire suite of challenges in one fell swoop, all approved by a vote of the County Council.

Together, as a community, if everyone from the Mayor to farmers in the fields can work together and rise to the occasion like no community has ever risen before, we can solve Maui's wastewater infrastructure problems for less than a military fighter jet, in two years or less.

It all begins with a pledge for a $314 Million private donation that meets the moment, to start the County of Maui Memorandum of Agreement process to receive the funds and make Maui's municipal wastewater disposal system the global gold standard demonstrating what is possible when a community comes together to implement good design practices.

Contact info@reefpowermaui.com to get involved!