Mandatory “Stage 1” water restrictions are scheduled to start next week for customers in Upcountry and West Maui in response to drops in water levels at the Kahakapao and Piiholo reservoirs.

Beginning Tuesday, the Department of Water Supply is requiring customers in Upcountry and West Maui to postpone nonessential water use such as washing cars and landscape irrigation until further notice.

In a news release, Jeffrey Pearson, director of the Department of Water Supply, said, “We were fortunate to receive rains for Upcountry due to Hurricane Douglas. Our reservoirs filled and the Upcountry area got some rain. Since then our reservoirs have steadily been going down. For West Maui, due to minimal rain at higher slopes, stream flows are reduced.”

The majority of water supplied by the department to customers in West Maui comes from surface sources.

Water storage for Upcountry is below 60% for the two 50-million-gallon Kahakapao reservoirs and the Piiholo reservoir which can hold 50 million gallons is at 70 percent and dropping.

For more information, call the Department of Water Supply at (808) 270-7834.