News
Jun 4, 2025
The Lahaina wildfires in summer of 2023 were among the most catastrophic natural disasters in Hawaii鈥檚 history 鈥 claiming more than 100 lives, destroying over 2,200 structures and displacing more than 5,000 residents. Along with visible devastation, critical infrastructure, including the region鈥檚 wastewater collection system, sustained severe damage.
Restoring essential services like sanitation became a top priority to support the safe return of residents and build long-term community resilience. The Federal Emergency Management Agency assigned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead hazardous materials cleanup and assess infrastructure damage.
A key priority for the EPA was to evaluate Lahaina鈥檚 wastewater system. To meet this challenge, the County of Maui teamed with X站福利所 to deploy 顿谤补驳辞苍蹿濒测鈩&苍产蝉辫;鈥 an AI-powered condition assessment tool鈥 across the sewer network.
"Traditional sewer inspection methods, while effective, were too time-consuming and resource-heavy for the scale and urgency of Lahaina鈥檚 recovery,鈥 explains X站福利所 Design Manager Carl Koester. 鈥淏y using Dragonfly, we captured video data across 90,000 feet of pipeline in just one month. This rapid assessment allowed us to prioritize repairs and speed up construction planning, making the recovery process faster and more efficient for the community."
X站福利所 also deployed a drone team to Maui, providing up-to-date aerial imagery that was used in construction documents and gave the contractors essential context for the $8.1 million in sewer repairs.
By April 2025, Maui County had completed 78 critical repairs throughout the disaster area, fully restoring sewer service to all homes and businesses in Lahaina 鈥 an important milestone in the community鈥檚 recovery.
"The rapid restoration of Lahaina鈥檚 sewer system has a profound impact,鈥 says X站福利所 Northwest Market Growth Director for Water Court Harris. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helping displaced residents return home and begin rebuilding their lives. Restoring essential services also supports the reopening of businesses and revitalizes the local economy. X站福利所 is proud to support Maui鈥檚 resilient recovery 鈥 demonstrating how advanced technology can accelerate disaster response and improve preparedness for future events.鈥
Read more about how Dragonfly helped fast-track recovery and enable safer, faster reoccupation of Lahaina.
About water at X站福利所
Addressing challenges like climate change, water scarcity, aging infrastructure and emerging contaminants, managing this essential resource has never been more complex. From drinking water treatment and reuse to water resource recovery and resilience, we鈥檙e working with our clients to protect communities, industries and the environment, and provide them with the water resources they need to thrive.