Maui County is stepping in to buy aging private water systems, a change welcomed by farmers who depend on them but questioned over the cost.

• The county plans to buy the systems from West Maui Land for $6 million after the 2023 wildfires exposed how weak the old plantation-era water setup is.
• These systems date back over a century, when they carried stream water to reservoirs for sugar fields; today they sell irrigation water and pipe drinking water to 500 customers.
• Farmers like Eddie Garcia back the deal, saying broken ditches, a failing reservoir, and week-long water shutoffs have already cost them hundreds of thousands in crop and infrastructure damage.
• Fixing everything could run into the tens of millions, and one council member warned the county could end up losing money on it.
• The mayor says the wildfires proved private water systems can't be trusted, and the old setup favored rich hillside subdivisions over downstream taro farms.

Outlook: The council gave early approval to the purchase, so the county is set to take over the systems and face a large, long-term repair bill.