THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	35
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the hawai‘i county department of water supply to convene a working group to examine opportunities for increasing water access and strengthening water infrastructure for underserved communities on hawai‘i island.

WHEREAS, water is life; and

WHEREAS, access to reliable water infrastructure and clean drinking water is essential for personal and public health; and

WHEREAS, a lack of access to a consistent water supply prevents the development of basic infrastructure in rural and remote areas, including the establishment of public schools, medical and community health centers, grocery stores, and financial institutions; and

WHEREAS, many communities located on the southwestern side of Hawai‘i Island, including Ocean View, Miloli‘i, and other nearby subdivisions, lack access to county water infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, in 2012, the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply launched the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Water Facilities Project in Ocean View, which involved the construction of a standpipe well for the community; and

WHEREAS, despite the establishment of the well, water access remains a significant challenge for residents of Ocean View, Miloli‘i, and neighboring communities, most of whose residents continue to rely on catchment systems; and

WHEREAS, areas that receive much less rainfall than the southwestern part of Hawai‘i Island, such as Waikoloa, have reliable county water infrastructure which receives approximately nine inches of rainfall per year on average in comparison to the twenty-six inches of rainfall experienced each year on average in Ocean View; and

WHEREAS, inadequate water infrastructure represents a glaring example of structural inequality for the southwestern part of Hawai‘i Island, which ranks below the state average in household income, educational attainment, and other key social and economic indicators; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply is requested to convene a working group to examine opportunities for increasing water access and strengthening water infrastructure for underserved communities on Hawai‘i Island; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply is urged to invite to participate in its working group individuals with expertise in the development of water resources in barren areas, faculty at the University of Hawai‘i who conduct research into water resource management, and community members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report on its efforts to increase access to water on Hawai‘i Island, including any findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of Hawai‘i County, Chairperson of the Hawai‘i County Council, Chairperson of the Hawai‘i County Water Board, and Manager-Chief Engineer of the Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply; Working Group; Water Access