[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 13, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7830-H7832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HAWAII WATER RESOURCES ACT OF 2005

  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 264) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and 
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in 
the State of Hawaii.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 264

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Hawaii Water Resources Act 
     of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. HAWAII RECLAMATION PROJECTS.

       (a) In General.--The Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
     Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating the second section 1636 (as added by 
     section 1(b) of Public Law 108-316 (118 Stat. 1202)) as 
     section 1637; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 1638. HAWAII RECLAMATION PROJECTS.

       ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary may--
       ``(1) in cooperation with the Board of Water Supply, City 
     and County of Honolulu,

[[Page H7831]]

     Hawaii, participate in the design, planning, and construction 
     of a project in Kalaeloa, Hawaii, to desalinate and 
     distribute seawater for direct potable use within the service 
     area of the Board;
       ``(2) in cooperation with the County of Hawaii Department 
     of Environmental Management, Hawaii, participate in the 
     design, planning, and construction of facilities in 
     Kealakehe, Hawaii, for the treatment and distribution of 
     recycled water and for environmental purposes within the 
     County; and
       ``(3) in cooperation with the County of Maui Wastewater 
     Reclamation Division, Hawaii, participate in the design, 
     planning, and construction of, and acquire land for, 
     facilities in Lahaina, Hawaii, for the distribution of 
     recycled water from the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation 
     Facility for non-potable uses within the County.
       ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a 
     project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
       ``(c) Limitation.--Funds provided by the Secretary shall 
     not be used for the operation and maintenance of a project 
     described in subsection (a).
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to 
     carry out this section.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections in section 
     2 of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment 
     Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. prec. 371) is amended by striking the 
     item relating to the second section 1636 (as added by section 
     2 of Public Law 108-316 (118 Stat. 1202)) and inserting the 
     following:

``Sec. 1637. Williamson County, Texas, Water Recylcing and Reuse 
              Project.
``Sec. 1638. Hawaii reclamation projects.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno).


                             General Leave

  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on S. 264, the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Puerto Rico?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  S. 264, sponsored by Senator Daniel Akaka and supported by our Hawaii 
colleagues in the House, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
undertake three water projects in the State of Hawaii.
  Although surrounded by water, the Hawaiian islands are not immune to 
water scarcity issues. In fact, parts of Hawaii have very limited 
potable water supplies due to natural and population factors.
  The projects authorized in this legislation will help Hawaii better 
manage its scarce water resources. Each project will serve a different 
purpose through desalting, recycling or other water supply 
technologies. The Federal cost-share of these projects will not exceed 
25 percent.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  We support the passage of S. 264. The gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. 
Abercrombie), our colleague on the Committee on Resources, has 
introduced a companion bill in the House, H.R. 843. We commend the 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) for his hard work to secure 
authorizations for these important projects.
  The projects identified in this bill will be eligible for limited 
financial assistance under the Bureau of Reclamation's title 16 water 
recycling program.
  Water recycling and desalination projects are proven technologies 
that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Hawaii, 
and the Virgin Islands I might add.
  I want to express our full support for this legislation, and I offer 
congratulations to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) for his 
leadership and persistence as this legislation proceeds to the White 
House.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madame Speaker, I rise today to support, S. 264, the 
Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005. This legislation will authorize 
Federal funds for three urgently needed water projects in the State of 
Hawaii.
  Madame Speaker, several years ago our State suffered through 5 years 
of drought conditions. Due to dangerous drops in our water levels, 
water usage was restricted to prevent saltwater from entering our 
pumps. Today, there is no drought and water conservation measures 
continue to be taught in schools and publicized. However, these three 
water development projects will make tremendous strides in ensuring a 
stable water supply for our growing island State and conserve the 
limited water supplies we do have. Because of the importance of these 
projects, I introduced the companion measure, H.R. 843, and 
wholeheartedly support this legislation.
  H.R. 843/S. 264 would authorize three projects that would help the 
State of Hawaii implement long-term management plans for our most 
limited natural resource, fresh water. The Kalaeloa Desalination 
Project would be built on Oahu, home to 72 percent of the State's 
population. It is estimated that water use rates on this island will 
begin exceeding recharge rates in 2018. This problem is particularly 
evident on the western side of Oahu which has a secondary urban center, 
Kapolei, which has experienced a population explosion in recent years. 
Kapolei is a planned community whose population is expected to increase 
by 70 percent in the next 20 years. The Board of Water Supply for the 
City and County of Honolulu has successfully implemented conservation 
measures and special programs which have lowered water consumption. 
This project would help meet Kapolei's projected demand, conserve 
limited groundwater, avoid impacts to the environment from wells 
drilled in forested watersheds, increase system reliability and 
minimize saltwater intrusion when water levels drop in drought 
conditions--Oahu experienced a 5-year drought from 1998 to 2002. This 
facility would also be capable of future expansion, an important aspect 
for this heavily populated island.
  The second project is located on the western side of the big island 
of Hawaii. This area sees very little rainfall and is very similar to 
the high arid regions of the mainland United States. The Kealakehe 
Wastewater Treatment Project would utilize wetlands to naturally clean 
the effluent being discharged by the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment 
Plant. Once the effluent water quality is upgraded and the maximum 
amount of flow diverted for use onsite in the wetlands, a distribution 
system would then convey the recycled water to potential users. A 
conventional tertiary treatment system would be cost prohibitive for a 
facility of this size. Moreover, the discharge of treated water could 
lead to the degradation of coastal water quality in an area that is 
known for its beautiful beaches and is a popular tourist destination. 
This project is an ecologically friendly alternative that would also 
provide habitat for two endangered bird species which are currently 
nesting on land adjacent to the Keahole International Airport.
  The third project that would be authorized is the Lahaina Recycled 
Water Distribution System Expansion Project located on the island of 
Maui. Over the last decade, Maui has worked to build a solid foundation 
for a water recycling program. Currently, it is able to use 
approximately 25 percent of the recycled water it produces, about 4 
million gallons per day. The main impediment to using more recycled 
water is the lack of infrastructure to distribute the recycled water to 
the commercial enterprises that could use it. A key example of this 
problem is in West Maui where recycled water is used to irrigate the 
Kaanapali Golf Courses. The pipeline that leads to the golf courses 
also passes a number of other commercial enterprises that are 
interested in using recycled water but the infrastructure is not 
adequately developed to allow these properties to connect to the 
system. Authorizing this project for Federal assistance will allow for 
expansion at a much faster rate and result in a greater savings of 
potable water.
  The State of Hawaii is addressing its problems of limited water and 
trying to implement solutions. The next time a drought comes, it may be 
too late to act. This bill will help us protect Hawaii's environment, 
meet our growing water needs, and maintain our quality of life. I urge 
my colleagues to support this vitally important measure.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 264, 
the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005. I commend my good friend 
Senator Akaka for introducing this bill in the Senate, and my friends 
and colleagues here in the House of Representatives from the Hawaii 
delegation, Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. Case, for their strong support.
  Due to the scarcity of water in Hawaii, the state has a strong need 
for resource management projects such as the ones proposed in this 
bill. The desalination project in Honolulu County, the wastewater 
treatment plant project outside Kona, and the recycled water project in 
Lahaina, will all serve the vital needs of the people of Hawaii in 
their efforts to provide for their increasing water demands.
  Again, I commend Senator Akaka for his leadership on this important 
initiative. Enacting

[[Page H7832]]

this bill will help Hawaii to manage its water resources more 
efficiently, particularly in the areas where water is increasingly 
scarce.
  I support this legislation and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor 
of S. 264.
  Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of prompt 
passage of S. 264, the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005. Congressman 
Abercrombie and I co-introduced a companion bill in the House, H.R. 
843. The bill is identical to one that passed the Senate in the 108th 
Congress by unanimous consent.
  S. 264 amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and 
Facilities Act to authorize three important water reclamation projects 
in my State. The three projects authorized in S. 264 would help Hawaii 
better manage its water resources, particularly in key areas where 
water is becoming increasingly scarce.
  Two of the projects are in my Second District on the islands of 
Hawaii and Maui, and the third, which would provide a reliable source 
of potable water for the island of Oahu, also impacts my district, 
which includes most of that island except for urban Honolulu. The 
Honolulu Board of Water Supply has projected that on Oahu freshwater 
use will exceed recharge rates by 2018.
  The project on Oahu 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. 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 are needed to produce 5 million gallons per 
day of potable water.
  The second project, north of Kona on the island of Hawaii, 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 on the island of Maui, 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, but increased use of recycled water is 
limited by the lack of adequate infrastructure to distribute recycled 
water to additional users.
  Hawaii has been experiencing drought conditions since 1998. And 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. Although many people have an image of Hawaii as a lush, 
tropical rainforest, in fact the leeward sides of all of our islands 
are typically dry, not unlike the high desert conditions in the western 
United States. A 2003 GAO report placed Hawaii among 16 States that are 
expected to face regional freshwater shortages in the next decade.
  S. 264 builds on Senator Akaka's 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 identify new 
opportunities for reclamation and reuse of water and wastewater for 
agriculture and non-agricultural purposes. That 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. The expertise of the Bureau of 
Reclamation has been invaluable in helping our State to address these 
vital resource issues.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.
  Mrs. CHISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 264.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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