Bill Text: HI HR168 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requesting The County Of Maui To Finance And Implement All Necessary Upgrades To The County's R-1 Water Delivery System, Including Designating And Upgrading Former Plantation Reservoirs For R-1 Water Storage.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-11 - Referred to WLH, FIN, referral sheet 40 [HR168 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-HR168-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	168
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the County of Maui to finance and implement all necessary upgrades to the County's r-1 water delivery system, INCLUDING designating and upgrading former plantation reservoirs for R-1 water storage.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, injection wells are devices that place fluid deep underground into porous geologic formations and serve as a safe and inexpensive option for the disposal of unwanted and often hazardous industrial byproducts; and

 

     WHEREAS, injection wells should be used in limited circumstances, including for emergency disposal, but due to a lack of storage or transportation options for reclaimed water, injection wells are often used for the disposal of reclaimed water in the State; and

 

WHEREAS, in the County of Maui, an average of over 8,700,000 gallons of treated R-1 water is disposed of each day using injection wells; and

 

     WHEREAS, this method of disposal causes groundwater contamination, algae blooms, and coral reef damage in nearshore waters; and

 

     WHEREAS, to mitigate these damages and prevent further environmental harm, additional infrastructure is needed for the treatment, distribution, and storage of reclaimed water for subsequent use; and

 

     WHEREAS, generally, water is a valuable commodity that should not be disposed of without careful consideration and specifically, reclaimed water can often be used for beneficial purposes, including irrigation of landscaping, rather than being disposed of via injection wells; and

     WHEREAS, the most impactful use of reclaimed water that has been treated to meet the Department of Health's standards for the highest recycled water level, known as R-1 water, is for irrigation of agricultural lands and landscaping, as well as emergency firefighting; and

 

     WHEREAS, in October 2019, brush fires in West Maui burned an estimated four thousand one hundred acres of land, and many thousands of gallons of water were used to fight these fires; and

 

     WHEREAS, equipping firefighters with access to stored reclaimed water for fighting fires will increase public safety and protect affected lands; and

 

     WHEREAS, fighting fires with saltwater alters the chemical composition of the affected soil due to saltwater's elevated salinity, and the use of saline on topsoil creates barren landscapes unable to support plant life and intensifies erosion; and

 

     WHEREAS, without increasing the use of reclaimed water for higher purposes, individuals in the State will experience a shortage of potable drinking water, as potable drinking water is overused for agricultural, landscaping, and firefighting purposes; and

 

     WHEREAS, designating former plantation reservoirs to store reclaimed water will provide firefighters with efficient access to fresh water and enable easier access of that water for agriculture and landscaping use for West Maui; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, that the County of Maui is requested to finance and implement all necessary upgrades to the county's R-1 water delivery system, including designating and upgrading former plantation reservoirs for R-1 water storage; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following reservoirs are requested to be designated and upgraded for R-1 water storage: Field 140; Mahinahina; Crater; Kahoma; E-2; Makila; Kauaula; Olowalu; and Ukumehame; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Mayor of the County of

Maui, each member of the Maui County Council, and Director of the County of Maui Department of Water Supply.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

County of Maui R-1 Water Delivery System Upgrades