People in Hawaii waste a lot of water (Kihei, Wailuku: hotels, landscaping)

[winkosmosis]

I've noticed that no matter where I go on Maui, windward side or leeward side, upcountry or downcountry, people are growing rainforest plants and lush lawns. I guess Hawaii residents have the mentality that because they live on a tropical island they need to grow rainforest vegetation, even if it costs them an arm and a leg in water bills.

Of course hotels are the worst offenders, but you can't blame them because that's what those valuable visitors pumping $$$ into our economy expect. From what I've seen they use treated wastewater so it may not really be wasteful.


But shouldn't there be some kind of campaign to educate people on arid/semiarid environment plants, preferably native, that use much less water?

[Honolulu21]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

I've noticed that no matter where I go on Maui, windward side or leeward side, upcountry or downcountry, people are growing rainforest plants and lush lawns. I guess Hawaii residents have the mentality that because they live on a tropical island they need to grow rainforest vegetation, even if it costs them an arm and a leg in water bills.

Of course hotels are the worst offenders, but you can't blame them because that's what those valuable visitors pumping $$$ into our economy expect. From what I've seen they use treated wastewater so it may not really be wasteful.


But shouldn't there be some kind of campaign to educate people on arid/semiarid environment plants, preferably native, that use much less water?

That's interesting, because on Oahu there has been a campaign towards xeroscape landscaping for the drier areas on Oahu like Kapolei for example.

Has been for at least 10 years or more. Here's the link:http://www.boardofwatersupply.com/files/xeriscape.pdf

[winkosmosis]

That's good that Oahu is trying to get people to grow appropriate plants.

I just googled "maui xeriscape" and found this Maui County, HI - Official Website - Xeriscaping

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

I've noticed that no matter where I go on Maui, windward side or leeward side, upcountry or downcountry, people are growing rainforest plants and lush lawns. I guess Hawaii residents have the mentality that because they live on a tropical island they need to grow rainforest vegetation, even if it costs them an arm and a leg in water bills.

Of course hotels are the worst offenders, but you can't blame them because that's what those valuable visitors pumping $$$ into our economy expect. From what I've seen they use treated wastewater so it may not really be wasteful.


But shouldn't there be some kind of campaign to educate people on arid/semiarid environment plants, preferably native, that use much less water?

It's a little misleading to extrapolate data from Maui to the entire state of Hawai'i. Many folks in Hawai'i (especially Kaua'i and the Big Island) actually live in rainforests and can easily grow rainforest plants and lush lawns without having to water anything. In many instances, some plants grow a little too well in Hawai'i.

[Vaedrem]

In the arid highlands of the big island, I see mostly agaves and other succulents used for landscaping; and we are on rain catchment, so not too much water bills either. I don't believe in lawns (and we have lava rock instead) but we do irrigate our fruit trees which we select drought-tolerant types of.

[HankDfrmSD]

Rainfall varies tremendously in Hawaii.

On Oahu it ranges from not much more than zero inches per year (Kapolei) to 280 inches per year (the Koolaus).

Here's a map:

Hawaii Weather Guide Featuring Maui, Oahu, Big Island and Kauai Rainfall Maps

[mdand3boys]

Where we live, about 3 miles from the ocean, near Pahoa on The Big Island, we get about 140 inches of rain per year. No real need for watering.

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by HankDfrmSD

Rainfall varies tremendously in Hawaii.

On Oahu it ranges from not much more than zero inches per year (Kapolei) to 280 inches per year (the Koolaus).

Here's a map:

Hawaii Weather Guide Featuring Maui, Oahu, Big Island and Kauai Rainfall Maps

That's my point, homeowners seem to be insensitive to the reality of the variety in climate

[winkosmosis]

I made this and the next map to compare Maui and TX rainfall. The color gradation is split so that the yellow->green->blue ramp roughly matches TX, then the white->blue ramp is for the values higher than TX
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs424.snc4/46760_10100320595356210_7901546_64567418_2791715_n .jpg (broken link)

El Paso is wetter than Kihei and Lahaina! Central TX (semiarid) is about as rainy as where I live now, Sandhills neighborhood of Wailuku.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs613.snc4/59343_10100320596159600_7901546_64567421_5289155_n .jpg (broken link)

[Calico Salsa]

GUILTY HERE! I'm one of those Kihei residents who has been watering a lawn since we landscaped right after moving here. Our big mistake - not realizing any of this, and going for both what the landscaper recommended and what we saw in other yards. If we were to tear it all out, we would leave some lawn, because that section of the yard has become a mini park for the neighborhood kids. But in other areas we'd plant more edibles than the pretty-color water hogs we have now.

It will have to be a gradual change for us, but it's the direction we intend to go. I do think that a lot of the people who move here plant without considering the impact to limited water resources, and also to their own personal cost.

We are starting to see more landscapers who specialize in putting in gardens versus ornamentals, or who mention water-conservative and native plants. But those are usually also a premium service. It will take both individual homeowner awareness and the push of the professionals to see a major change. That might need to get sparked by a real big surcharge for water usage.