THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 54 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D. 1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D. 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE AND PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE TO A DESALINATION PLANNING TASK FORCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE USE OF DESALINATION FOR LARGE-SCALE WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE STATE IS FEASIBLE.
THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 54
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII H.D. 1
THE SENATE
S.C.R. NO.
54
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
H.D. 1
SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE AND PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE TO A DESALINATION PLANNING TASK FORCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE USE OF DESALINATION FOR LARGE-SCALE WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE STATE IS FEASIBLE.
WHEREAS, freshwater scarcity is an increasingly present threat to communities around the world in the face of population growth and climate change; and WHEREAS, freshwater is vital not only to the sustenance of life in the State, but also its economy and culture, including supporting agricultural production and tourism; and WHEREAS, islands like Oʻahu rely on underground aquifers for their freshwater supply; and WHEREAS, underground aquifers take decades to replenish naturally and are susceptible to chemical spills and leaks, droughts, and commercial overuse; and WHEREAS, a decrease of rainfall of eighteen percent over the last thirty years, a population that has doubled since 1959, constantly rising visitor levels, and the destruction of half of its watershed forests have contributed to a freshwater crisis in the State; and WHEREAS, desalination, the process of removing salt from seawater, offers a promising solution to the freshwater scarcity crisis; and WHEREAS, despite the abundance of seawater surrounding the State and need for an alternative source of freshwater, desalination can be cost-prohibitive and energy-intensive, necessitating a thorough examination of whether it is the solution best suited to the State's needs; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to convene and provide administrative assistance to a Desalination Planning Task Force to determine whether the use of desalination for large-scale water consumption in the State is feasible; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to consist of the following members: (1) The Chairperson of the Commission on Water Resource Management or the Chairperson's designee, who shall serve as Chair of the Task Force; (2) The Director of Health or the Director's designee; (3) The Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture or the Chairperson's designee; (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 with primary jurisdiction over 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; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to: (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; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to 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 2027; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to dissolve on June 30, 2027; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Health, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Mayors of each county. Report Title: DLNR; Desalination; Desalination Planning Task Force; Report
WHEREAS, freshwater scarcity is an increasingly present threat to communities around the world in the face of population growth and climate change; and
WHEREAS, freshwater is vital not only to the sustenance of life in the State, but also its economy and culture, including supporting agricultural production and tourism; and
WHEREAS, islands like Oʻahu rely on underground aquifers for their freshwater supply; and
WHEREAS, underground aquifers take decades to replenish naturally and are susceptible to chemical spills and leaks, droughts, and commercial overuse; and
WHEREAS, a decrease of rainfall of eighteen percent over the last thirty years, a population that has doubled since 1959, constantly rising visitor levels, and the destruction of half of its watershed forests have contributed to a freshwater crisis in the State; and
WHEREAS, desalination, the process of removing salt from seawater, offers a promising solution to the freshwater scarcity crisis; and
WHEREAS, despite the abundance of seawater surrounding the State and need for an alternative source of freshwater, desalination can be cost-prohibitive and energy-intensive, necessitating a thorough examination of whether it is the solution best suited to the State's needs; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to convene and provide administrative assistance to a Desalination Planning Task Force to determine whether the use of desalination for large-scale water consumption in the State is feasible; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to consist of the following members:
(1) The Chairperson of the Commission on Water Resource Management or the Chairperson's designee, who shall serve as Chair of the Task Force;
(2) The Director of Health or the Director's designee;
(3) The Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture or the Chairperson's designee;
(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 with primary jurisdiction over 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; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to:
(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; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to 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 2027; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to dissolve on June 30, 2027; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Health, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Mayors of each county.
Report Title:
DLNR; Desalination; Desalination Planning Task Force; Report