WAILUKU — Demand for drinking water inched upward last week as officials with the county Department of Water Supply continued to struggle with abnormally dry conditions, The Maui News reported.

Overall average daily water use went from 39.34 million gallons in the week of April 24-30 to 40.04 mg last week. Water use in the drought-plagued Upcountry region rose from 6.89 mg to 7.21 mg in the same period.

"Our obvious concern is the potential increase in discretionary water use," said Water Director Jeff Eng. "Please do your best to conserve water. We have a long spring and summer ahead of us."

In June of last year, dry conditions forced the declaration of a drought warning Upcountry, and residents were required to cut back water use by 10 percent. That restriction wasn't lifted until Dec. 20, after the island was drenched with heavy rains that brought widespread flooding.

Most Upcountry reservoirs were well below-normal levels last week. The 100-million-gallon Kahakapao Reservoir had 31 mg on Friday, down from 35.6 mg a week earlier. The 30-mg Waikamoi Reservoir was empty or near empty most of last week, although it had 5.8 mg on Friday.

The only reservoir with a nearly full supply late last week was the 50-mg Piiholo Reservoir, which had 47.7 mg on Friday, or 95.4 percent of its capacity. That reservoir, however, receives water pumped uphill from the Kamole Water Treatment Plant near Haliimaile.

One indication of the amount of rainfall received in the upper regions of East Maui is the Wailoa Ditch, which feeds water into Kamole. The ditch can supply as much as 200 mg a day, but the most it was able to record last week was 172.9 mg on Thursday. On Friday, it dropped to 107.6 mg, or 53.9 percent of its capacity. Earlier in the week, it had gone as low as 31.8 mg, or only 15.9 percent of capacity.

Average daily water demand by residents of Central and South Maui was up to 24.89 million gallons per day last week, up from 24.69 mgd the week before. But it remained slightly below the water department's 25 mgd target for limiting water use.

A check of rain gauge data showed no rainfall in most areas last week.

The only gauges to show an inch or more of rain were at Puu Kukui in the West Maui Mountains, including 3.41 inches on May 5, and at West Wailuaiki in East Maui.

For more Maui news, visit www.mauinews.com.