Maui County is moving to buy up private water systems in West Maui, a potential win for Lahaina residents who want local control of their drinking water.

• Water dominated a candidate forum staged by Lahaina Strong at a West Maui beach park.
• The county has already bought three water systems in the region and is negotiating for the Honokohau system.
• That deal would lift the share of West Maui drinking water under public control from under half to nearly all of it.
• Talks are stalled on price because no appraisal has been done yet.
• Developer Yanai is suing to force a sale of the system to him instead, setting up a fight over who ends up owning the water.

Outlook: Any purchase still needs an appraisal and County Council approval, so the ownership question stays open heading into the election.