[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 9 (Wednesday, February 2, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S893-S894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. Inouye):
  S. 264. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in the State of 
Hawaii; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today with the senior Senator from 
Hawaii to introduce legislation to authorize three important water 
reclamation projects in the State of Hawaii. This legislation, the 
Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005, is identical to legislation 
considered in the 108th Congress that passed the Senate by unanimous 
consent on May 19, 2004.
  Although one usually does not readily associate the State of Hawaii 
as a place with drought problems, Hawaii has been experiencing drought 
conditions since 1998. The Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 builds 
upon the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2000 P.L. 106-566 that 
authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to survey irrigation and water 
delivery systems in Hawaii and

[[Page S894]]

identify new opportunities for reclamation and reuse of water and 
wastewater for agriculture and non-agricultural purposes. While the Act 
resulted in the development of the initial Hawaii Drought Plan in 2000, 
which was updated this past year to incorporate comments and 
recommendations made by the Bureau of Reclamation, more needs to be 
done.
  Although Hawaii is just beginning to recover from a multi-year 
drought, the National Weather Service has indicated that due to a mild 
El Nino effect in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii may again experience 
another period of drought. It is imperative for Hawaii to improve its 
ways to reduce consumption of drinking water. The legislation that I am 
introducing today, the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005, will help 
the State of Hawaii to be proactive by authorizing projects that will 
address the demand on our freshwater supply, especially on the islands 
of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii.
  The legislation authorizes three projects. The first project, in 
Honolulu, will provide reliable potable water through resource 
diversification to meet existing and future demands, particularly in 
the Ewa area of Oahu where water demands are outpacing the availability 
of drinking water. The second project, in North Kona, will address the 
issue of effluent being discharged into a temporary disposal sump from 
the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project would utilize 
subsurface wetlands to naturally clean the effluent and convey the 
recycled water to a number of users. The third project, in Lahaina, 
will reduce the use of potable water by extending the County of Maui's 
main recycled water pipeline.
  The Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 will begin the next phase of 
ensuring that the State of Hawaii will continue to have a supply of 
fresh drinking water. It is vitally important for the State to begin 
working on these water reclamation projects and I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation which is important to communities in Hawaii.
                                 ______