The East Maui Irrigation Company (EMI) has submitted a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a long-term, 30-year, water lease.

Company executives say the lease would allow a continued supply of water through the EMI system to Mahi Pono’s farm lands in Central Maui and other water users served by EMI including approximately 35,000 upcountry Maui residents served by the Maui County water system. Mahi Pono is a co-owner and operator of EMI.

“The filing of the DEIS is an important step in ensuring both the supply of water for upcountry Maui residents and supporting Mahi Pono’s vision of transitioning former sugarcane land into diversified agriculture, increasing local food production and helping achieve food security for Maui, and our state,” said Shan Tsutsui, Senior Vice President of Operations for Mahi Pono. “We are pleased that EMI is moving forward with this process.”

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