WAILUKU — Water use around Maui County remained stable at under 41 million gallons a day as periodic showers helped to relieve the dry conditions in some areas of the islands, The Maui News reported today.

"Water production demand remains stable, with slight increases in the Upcountry, West Maui and Moloka'i water systems," Water Director Jeff Eng said. "The department appreciates our customers' continuing efforts to conserve water."

With water flowing into Upcountry reservoirs, Eng also noted that the water department was able to return the Olinda Water Treatment Facility to full operation, reducing the demand for electricity to pump water from Pi'iholo to the Upper Kula water system normally fed by the Olinda plant.

But he said the department still is pumping water to the Lower Kula system and the Pi'iholo Reservoir to retain adequate supplies in storage in the 50-million-gallon reservoir.

Showers in the East Maui and West Maui watersheds are stabilizing water supplies for the county but still are not adequate for the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. fields. Garret Hew, a manager with East Maui Irrigation Co. and the HC&S plantation, said replanting has resumed but at a reduced level because of the uncertainty over water supplies.

With flows in the primary Wailoa Ditch system falling to as low as 11 million gallons a day in early July, the plantation was forced to suspend replanting for two weeks. The ditch is the largest of the three irrigation systems in the East Maui watershed, with a capacity of nearly 200 mgd, and also supplies up to 5 mgd to the county for Upcountry consumers.

Hew said the plantation needs to irrigate newly planted seed cane for about two weeks, and the inconsistent flows in the ditch do not allow replanting of upper elevation fields that rely on ditch water.

Maui County remained rated as abnormally dry to in severe drought over the past week, but the National Weather Service July rainfall report showed that showers occurred in several areas, partly as a result of the steady trade winds but also with the passing of remnant tropical storm systems.

The report noted that farmers depending on the Molokai Irrigation System remain under a 20 percent cutback order, while the county is maintaining an appeal for 10 percent cuts in Central and South Maui and 5 percent cuts by Upcountry consumers.

Former tropical cyclone Elida brought significant showers to Maui on July 22 and 23, the report noted, while the moderate trades earlier in the month allowed some cloud buildup on leeward slopes — with Ulupalakua receiving a soaking July 14 and 15. The ranch recorded 6.25 inches for the month, which is a record for July, "despite being surrounded by drought conditions in the Kula and Kaupo areas," accoding to the report prepared by senior hydrologist Kevin Kodama.

"An explanation for this may be the prevalence of light to moderate trade wind days during the first half of July, which enabled a well-developed afternoon upslope flow to produce rainfall," he said.

The rainfall numbers reflected several anomalies. With 0.3 inches, Kihei recorded 300 percent of normal rainfall for July; but for the year, it remains at just 18 percent of normal.

With 26.67 inches, Pu'u Kukui was at 79 percent of normal for July but is barely at half of normal for the year. The West Wailua Iki rain gauge in the East Maui watershed recorded 14.24 inches, 88 percent of normal for July. For the year to date, it is at 82 percent of normal, despite running at 50 percent from March through June.

At the edge of the watershed, Haiku recorded 2.8 inches in July, 57 percent of normal, and is at 50 percent of normal for the year. Pukalani and Kula both were at half of normal for the month with less than an inch, with Kula at 39 percent of normal for the year, with 5.13 inches since January.

The fluctuating rainfall is evident in the Wailoa Ditch data: 64.6 mgd on Aug. 1; 67.2 mgd on Aug. 2, 66.3 mgd on Aug. 3; 64.4 mgd on Aug. 4; 48.4 mgd on Aug. 5 and 6; 157.7 mgd on Aug. 7 and 85.8 mgd on Aug. 8.

The fluctuations may continue on an upward trend in the next week, with Hurricane Hernan in the eastern Pacific on a track to run northeast of the Islands, pumping moisture into the trade winds as Elida did — provided it dissipates as Elida did.

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