[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,
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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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