Many parts of Hawaii’s infrastructure, including water and wastewater operations, were built up around plantation structures, leaving a resulting patchwork of systems and system ownership that creates ongoing tension over public and private interests. Disputes have been particularly fraught on Maui — but recently, Maui County took a significant step toward transformation, formally entering into an agreement with Maui Land &Pineapple Co. (MLP) to take over MLP’s drinking water system.