STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1496

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1394

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1394, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER RECLAMATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to address sustainable access to fresh water.

     More specifically, the measure requires the Department of Transportation to:

     (1)  Conduct a feasibility study on the use of water scalping technology in state facilities; and

     (2)  Submit to the Legislature a report of its findings and recommendations no later than November 30, 2016.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and one individual.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted written comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that, as an island state, Hawaii's inherent limited access to fresh water will be further exacerbated by population growth and a commensurate increase in development.  Opportunities to beneficially reuse and conserve water resources should be explored to help ensure the State has an adequate supply of usable fresh water.  Water scalping is a technology that extracts usable water from wastewater for treatment and reuse in various applications, depending on treatment level and water quality.  Your Committee believes that water scalping should be evaluated for its potential to create more efficient water use and reuse in state facilities.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2053, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1394, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1394, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair