Council Weakens “Show Me the Water”

County council members approved a bill that would relax the county’s “Show Me the Water” policy for “affordable housing projects” and certain other developments. Projects which would be exempt from a county requirement to prove they have a dedicated source of water before starting construction include

• in-fill projects with 10 or fewer residential units,
• residential work-force housing projects developed by a qualified housing provider,
• public and quasi-public developments and related subdivisions,
• and 100 percent “affordable housing” projects.

The exemption would apply only to areas served by the county’s Central and West Maui water systems.