The bill, the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 (S264/HR843), was introduced by Congressman Neil Abercrombie and the other members of Hawaii’s Congressional Delegation.

Abercrombie said:  “The best time to achieve solutions is before a crisis.  The next time a drought comes, it may be too late to act.  This bill will help us protect Hawaii’s environment, meet our growing water needs, and maintain our quality of life.”

The measure passed the Senate on July 26 and goes next to the White House, where the President is expected to sign it into law.

The Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 authorizes federal funding to cover up to 25% of the design, planning and construction costs of three specified projects:

Seawater desalination and distribution facilities at Kalaeloa, Oahu. It is estimated that water use rates on Oahu will begin exceeding recharge rates in 2018.  The problem is particularly evident in Kapolei, which has experienced a population explosion in recent years and is expected to increase by 70 percent in the next twenty years.  The desalination project would help meet projected demand for drinking water in Kapolei and elsewhere on Oahu, conserve limited groundwater, avoid adverse environmental impacts from wells drilled in watershed forests, increase system reliability, and minimize saltwater intrusion when water levels drop in drought conditions (such as occurred in 1998-2002).

Lahaina, Maui, Recycled Water Distribution System Expansion Project.  The project would enhance the distribution of non-potable recycled water from the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility.  Currently, the facility is able to use approximately 25% of the recycled water it produces, about four million gallons per day.  The principal impediment to using more recycled water is the lack of infrastructure to distribute the recycled water to commercial enterprises.  A key example of this problem is the line carrying recycled water to irrigate the Kaanapali Golf Courses.  The pipeline passes a number of other commercial enterprises that are also interested in using recycled water, but infrastructure inadequacies prevent these properties from connecting to the system.  Federal assistance will allow the system to expand at a faster rate and result in a greater savings of potable water.  (The Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 authorizes federal funds to help acquire land for this project, in addition to design, planning and construction costs.)

Kealakehe, Hawaii, Wastewater Treatment Project.  The facility will treat and distribute non-potable recycled water discharged by the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant, utilizing wetlands to naturally clean the effluent.  Once the effluent water quality is upgraded and the maximum amount of flow diverted for use in the wetlands, a distribution system will carry the recycled water to potential users.  A conventional tertiary treatment system would be cost prohibitive for a facility of this size.  Moreover, the discharge of treated water could degrade coastal water quality in an environmentally sensitive area known for its natural beauty.  This project is an ecologically friendly alternative that will provide habitat for two endangered bird species currently nesting on land adjacent to the Keahole International Airport.

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