Bill > HB780

This bill establishes a Desalination Planning Task Force within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to comprehensively study the potential for using desalination (a process of converting seawater into drinking water) as a water resource in Hawaii. The task force will include representatives from various state agencies and county water departments, and is charged with conducting a detailed study to assess water demand across housing, agriculture, and industrial sectors, examining the feasibility of desalination as a supplemental water source. Specifically, the task force will investigate how desalination could help meet future water needs, improve water system resilience (particularly in light of the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility water contamination crisis), and consider potential environmental and cultural impacts, including effects on historical and Native Hawaiian sites. The group will also evaluate the environmental concerns associated with desalination, such as high energy consumption. Members will serve without compensation but will be reimbursed for expenses, and the task force is required to submit a report with findings and recommendations to the legislature by January 2026, after which the task force will be dissolved. The bill aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of whether large-scale desalination could be a viable water solution for Hawaii.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=780&year=2026