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complete and properly filed before the ordinance takes effect would also be exempt.

Water conservation measures related to pools have been under discussion for months. In September, the Maui Planning Commission supported requiring pool covers for most swimming pools to reduce evaporation. Meeting minutes from that session noted 69 pending pool applications in West Maui at the time.

In a July 10 letter to the Board of Water Supply, Department of Water Supply Director John Stufflebean reported that an average pool in Lahaina uses approximately 56 gallons of water per day — about 11 percent of the estimated 500 gallons per day used by an average household. Stufflebean noted that properly used pool covers can reduce evaporation by roughly 90 percent.

The Board of Water Supply has expressed support for Bill 161, while also recommending that the council consider broader conservation strategies and improved monitoring beyond pool restrictions alone.

The proposed ban has raised