S264JUL29

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending July 29, 2005

S.264 A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in the State of Hawaii.

BRIEF

The Committee Report accompanying the bill described the three projects authorized by the bill, “Hawaii has areas on the leeward sides of all its islands that are dry and have very limited water supplies. Many of these areas have remarkable similarities to the high deserts in the Western United States. Additionally, Hawaii is also experiencing varying degrees of drought conditions both on the Big Island and in other parts of the state. The Honolulu Board of Water Supply projects that on Oahu freshwater use will exceed recharge rates in 2018.

“The three projects authorized in S. 264 would help Hawaii better manage its water resources, particularly in some of the areas where water is becoming increasingly scarce. The first project, in Honolulu County, would provide a reliable source of water through resource diversification to meet existing and future water demands in the Ewa area of Oahu, where water demands are exceeding the availability of drinking water. Specifically, the proposed project is a 5 million gallon per day seawater desalination facility. Seawater Reverse Osmosis Membrane Technology is proposed, in which approximately 11 million gallons per day of seawater is needed to produce 5 million gallons per day of potable water. Seawater source wells, rather than direct ocean intake, will be used to ensure higher water quality. Brine disposal will be through shallow cap rock wells with temporary brine holding ponds.

“The second project, north of Kona, would address the issue of effluent being discharged into a temporary disposal sump from the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant. The effluent has a particularly high suspended solids content. The proposed project will utilize subsurface wetlands to reduce the suspended solids prior to disinfection. Retrofitting an existing lagoon and completing construction of an additional lagoon would create subsurface wetlands. An open surface wetland would also be constructed to reduce the effluent disposal, create habitat for two endangered species, and provide recreational opportunities for the public. Once the effluent water quality has been upgraded and the maximum amount of flow diverted for use onsite in the constructed wetlands, a distribution system would be needed to convey the recycled water to potential users.

“The final project, in Lahaina, would facilitate the use of recycled water by extending the County of Maui's main recycled water pipeline. The county has been one of the water recycling leaders in the State of Hawaii; however, increased use of recycled water is limited by the lack of adequate infrastructure to distribute recycled water to additional users. Specifically, a lack of adequate recycled water storage and associated pipelines are the main constraints to increased use of recycled water in the area.”

Sponsor: Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)

Vote: Passed Senate by unanimous Consent (July 27, 2005)

Cost to the taxpayers: “CBO estimates that implementing S. 264 would cost $16 million over the 2006-2010 period”