Bill > SB1232

This bill establishes a three-year New Wastewater Technology Testing Pilot Program within the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center to address the environmental and public health challenges posed by Hawaii's approximately 80,000 cesspools, which currently discharge around 50 million gallons of wastewater into groundwater daily. The pilot program will task the research center with coordinating with various state and county agencies to test, review, and evaluate new wastewater treatment technologies, focusing on their affordability, feasibility, and efficiency. The center will be required to conduct comprehensive tests on new individual and community-scale wastewater systems, document and validate the results, and submit these findings to the Department of Health. Additionally, the program mandates the submission of interim reports to the Legislature in 2026 and 2027, and a final comprehensive report in 2028, which will include detailed test results, recommendations for program improvement, and suggestions about potentially making the pilot program permanent. The bill appropriates funds for the program's implementation in fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, with the pilot program set to conclude on June 30, 2028. The underlying motivation is to find more effective and affordable solutions for replacing harmful cesspools and protecting Hawaii's water quality, public health, and fragile coral reef ecosystems.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1232&year=2026