Bill > SR36

This resolution requests the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a Desalination Planning Task Force to comprehensively evaluate the potential for large-scale desalination (the process of removing salt from seawater to create freshwater) in Hawaii. The task force would include representatives from various state agencies, water management boards, and legislative committees, and would be charged with conducting a detailed study on water demand across housing, agricultural, and industrial sectors. The task force's specific objectives include examining desalination's feasibility as a supplemental water source, assessing its potential to meet future water needs, evaluating its impact on the state's water system resilience (particularly in light of recent water contamination issues), considering potential environmental and cultural impacts, and addressing concerns about energy consumption and brine disposal. The resolution requires the task force to submit a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations to the Legislature by late 2025, with the task force set to dissolve by June 30, 2026. This initiative comes in response to Hawaii's growing freshwater scarcity, driven by factors such as decreased rainfall, population growth, and the vulnerability of underground aquifers.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SR&billnumber=36&year=2025