SB 848

THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
848
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO DESALINATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
���� SECTION 1.� The purpose of
this Act is to establish a desalination planning task force to determine
whether the use of desalination for large-scale water consumption in the State
is feasible.
���� SECTION 2.�
(a)� There is established within
the department of land and natural resources a desalination planning task force
for administrative purposes.
���� (b)�
The task force shall comprise the following members:
���� (1)� The
director of health or the director's designee;
���� (2)� The
chairperson of the board of agriculture or the chairperson's designee;
���� (3)� The
chairperson of the commission on water resource management or the chairperson's
designee, who shall serve as chair;
���� (4)� The
chief executive officer of the office of Hawaiian affairs or the chief
executive officer's designee;
���� (5)� The
chairs of the senate and house of representatives standing committees on water
and land or their designees; and
���� (6)� The
director or manager and chief engineer of each county's department or board of
water supply.
���� (c)�
The task force shall:
���� (1)� Conduct
a study to determine the water demand for housing, agriculture, and industrial
uses throughout the State, including in high-need areas;
���� (2)� Examine
the feasibility of using desalination as a source of clean and safe drinking
water to supplement the State's existing groundwater and surface water
resources;
���� (3)� Determine
the extent to which the use of desalination will:
��������� (A)� Assist
the State in meeting its projected future water needs; and
��������� (B)� Improve
the resiliency of the State's water systems, considering in particular the
impacts of the water crisis caused by the contamination at the Red Hill Bulk
Fuel Storage Facility;
���� (4)� Determine
whether it is feasible for the commission on water resource management to
integrate desalination into its overall water management plans;
���� (5)� Consider
the extent to which the construction of desalination plants may affect or
interfere with historical sites and Native Hawaiian cultural sites and
practices, including burial sites; and
���� (6)� Address
environmental concerns associated with the operation of desalination plants,
including high energy consumption and disposal of brine concentrate.
���� (d)�
The members of the task force shall serve without compensation but shall
be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, necessary for the
performance of their duties.
���� (e)�
No member of the task force shall be subject to chapter 84, Hawaii
Revised Statues, solely because of the member's participation in the task
force.
���� (f)�
The department of land and natural resources shall provide
administrative assistance to the task force.
���� (g)�
The task force shall submit a report of its findings and
recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no
later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026.
���� (h)�
The task force shall cease to exist on June 30, 2026.
���� SECTION 3.�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Report Title:
Potable
Water; Desalination; Planning Task Force
Description:
Establishes
a Desalination Planning Task Force to examine the feasibility of, and develop a
plan and timeline for, the use desalination as a source of potable water in the
State.� (SD1)
The summary description
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.