SR 99: Requesting the department of health to convene a working group to assess the feasibility of ALLOWING business owners IN THE STATE to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities.

SENATE RESOLUTION

Requesting the department of health to convene a working group to assess the feasibility of ALLOWING business owners IN THE STATE to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities.

     WHEREAS, there is an imminent potable water shortage threat that has left many individuals across the State without direct or convenient access to safe drinking water; and

     WHEREAS, due to recent high-profile petroleum leaks coupled with drought conditions, the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu was forced to take precautionary measures and shut down the Hālawa Shaft, Hālawa Wells, and Aiea Wells, further restricting access to potable water for local communities; and

     WHEREAS, access to water is a prerequisite to addressing many of the State's current problems relating to developing affordable housing, empowering local businesses, diversifying the economy, and improving the economic stability of the State's most vulnerable residents; and

     WHEREAS, pursuing innovative solutions to decrease use of the State's limited aquifers is critical to addressing the fragility of the State's water system; and

     WHEREAS, water catchment systems are one innovative solution that can supplement potable water systems and conserve natural resources by efficiently capturing and utilizing rainwater while maintaining existing state water infrastructure, including both municipal water and stormwater systems; and

     WHEREAS, while a significant number of people in the State are dependent on rainwater catchment as their primary domestic water source, existing law allows captured water for personal use only and prohibits the use of captured water for business activities; and

     WHEREAS, revised guidelines from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resiliency at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa outline a safe process for utilizing water captured for personal use that can be appropriately applied to business activities under certain regulatory conditions; and

     WHEREAS, studying the feasibility of allowing business owners in the State to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities is critical to decrease Hawaii's dependency upon stressed aquifer and water systems and assist in the diversification of the State's water sources; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to consist of the following members:

     (1)  Director of Health, or the Director's designee, who is requested to serve as chairperson of the working group;

     (2)  One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;

     (3)  One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

     (4)  Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, or the Chairperson's designee;

     (5)  One representative from each county's board or department of water supply or department of water;

     (6)  One member representing the public, appointed or invited by the President of the Senate; and

     (7)  One member representing the public, appointed or invited by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to assess and make recommendations on:

     (1)  The feasibility of allowing business owners in the State to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities, including the types and sizes of businesses that are best suited to implement water catchment systems for business activities;

     (2)  The feasibility of establishing a Business Activity Water Catchment System Testing Program within the Department of Health that provides or otherwise assists business owners in conducting annual testing of filtered water produced from a water catchment system for business activities, including determining the types of chemicals or substances, in addition to lead and copper, that need to be tested to ensure the safety of the filtered water for business activities;

     (3)  How the State and counties can cooperate in ensuring that water catchment systems utilized for business activities are in compliance with applicable plumbing codes; and

     (4)  Possible means by which the State can assist business owners in safely utilizing filtered water from a water catchment system for business activities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group is requested to report 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 Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group is requested to dissolve on June 30, 2027; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Mayors of each county, Manager and Chief Engineer of the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu, Director of the Department of Water Supply of the County of Maui, Manager-Chief Engineer of the Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaii, and Manager and Chief Engineer of the Department of Water of the County of Kauai.

Report Title: 

DOH; Business Activity Water Catchment Working Group; Water Supply

SENATE RESOLUTION

Requesting the department of health to convene a working group to assess the feasibility of ALLOWING business owners IN THE STATE to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities.

     WHEREAS, there is an imminent potable water shortage threat that has left many individuals across the State without direct or convenient access to safe drinking water; and

     WHEREAS, due to recent high-profile petroleum leaks coupled with drought conditions, the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu was forced to take precautionary measures and shut down the Hālawa Shaft, Hālawa Wells, and Aiea Wells, further restricting access to potable water for local communities; and

     WHEREAS, access to water is a prerequisite to addressing many of the State's current problems relating to developing affordable housing, empowering local businesses, diversifying the economy, and improving the economic stability of the State's most vulnerable residents; and

     WHEREAS, pursuing innovative solutions to decrease use of the State's limited aquifers is critical to addressing the fragility of the State's water system; and

     WHEREAS, water catchment systems are one innovative solution that can supplement potable water systems and conserve natural resources by efficiently capturing and utilizing rainwater while maintaining existing state water infrastructure, including both municipal water and stormwater systems; and

     WHEREAS, while a significant number of people in the State are dependent on rainwater catchment as their primary domestic water source, existing law allows captured water for personal use only and prohibits the use of captured water for business activities; and

     WHEREAS, revised guidelines from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resiliency at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa outline a safe process for utilizing water captured for personal use that can be appropriately applied to business activities under certain regulatory conditions; and

     WHEREAS, studying the feasibility of allowing business owners in the State to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities is critical to decrease Hawaii's dependency upon stressed aquifer and water systems and assist in the diversification of the State's water sources; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group for business activities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to consist of the following members:

     (1)  One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, who is requested to serve as co-chair of the working group;

     (2)  One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is requested to serve as co-chair of the working group;

     (3)  Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

     (4)  One representative from each county's board or department of water supply or department of water;

     (5)  One member representing the public, appointed or invited by the President of the Senate; and

     (6)  One member representing the public, appointed or invited by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to assess and make recommendations on:

     (1)  The feasibility of allowing business owners in the State to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities, including the types and sizes of businesses that are best suited to implement water catchment systems for business activities;

     (2)  The feasibility of establishing a Business Activity Water Catchment System Testing Program within the Department of Health that provides or otherwise assists business owners in conducting annual testing of filtered water produced from a water catchment system for business activities, including determining the types of chemicals or substances, in addition to lead and copper, that need to be tested to ensure the safety of the filtered water for business activities;

     (3)  How the State and counties can cooperate in ensuring that water catchment systems utilized for business activities are in compliance with applicable plumbing codes; and

     (4)  Possible means by which the State can assist business owners in safely utilizing filtered water from a water catchment system for business activities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group is requested to report 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 Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group is requested to dissolve on June 30, 2027; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mayors of each county, Manager and Chief Engineer of the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu, Director of the Department of Water Supply of the County of Maui, Manager-Chief Engineer of the Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaii, and Manager and Chief Engineer of the Department of Water of the County of Kauai.

Report Title: 

DOH; Business Activity Water Catchment Working Group; Water Supply

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1558

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 99

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.R. No. 99 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF ALLOWING BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE STATE TO UTILIZE FILTERED WATER COLLECTED BY WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS FOR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to convene a working group to assess the feasibility of allowing business owners in the State to utilize filtered water collected by water catchment systems for business activities.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association of Hawaii.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

     Your Committee finds that pursuing innovative solutions to decrease use of the State's limited aquifers is critical to addressing the fragility of the State's water system.  Your Committee further finds that water catchment systems are one innovative solution that can supplement potable water systems and conserve natural resources by efficiently capturing and utilizing rainwater; however, existing law prohibits the use of captured water for business activities.  Your Committee notes that for water collected from a water catchment system to be considered viable, the drinking water produced from the water catchment system must meet quality standards and be subject to regulatory control.  Your Committee further notes that regulation of drinking water sources in the State involves multiple agencies and overlapping federal and state regulations.  Accordingly, this resolution convenes the Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group comprising relevant stakeholders from the State, counties, and public to collaborate on the potential authorization of using water from water catchment systems for business activities. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the Director of Health or the Director's designee to serve as the chairperson of the Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group, rather than the members from the Senate and House of Representatives to serve as co-chairs;

     (2)  Adding the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture as a member of the Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     Your Committee notes the Department of Health's request for $100,000 to retain a working group facilitator to assist the Business Activity Water Catchment System Working Group in performing the assessment and developing the recommendations requested in this measure.  Your Committee requests that the Department of Health submit a request for the needed funds to be included in its budget.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 99, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 99, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,