HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	182
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the honolulu board of water supply and kalaeloa desalco llc TO increase the final initial production capacity of the kalaeloa seawater desalination facility project and be activated as soon as practicable.

WHEREAS, desalination is a known solution to alleviate stress on natural ecosystems by reducing the extraction of freshwater from the local environment; and

WHEREAS, desalination offers a long-term answer to water scarcity and freshwater resource management, particularly in regions facing increasing water demand, population growth, and urbanization; and

WHEREAS, Israel has demonstrated the immense successes possible by this process, with 80% of their water supply coming from desalination and leading to the country producing more water than it needs; and

WHEREAS, the 2021 Red Hill fuel crisis exposed Hawaii's vulnerability and lack of alternatives for potable water supply; and

WHEREAS, ninety-nine percent of Hawaii’s domestic water usage is supplied by finite groundwater which is replenished by rainfall; and

WHEREAS, ninety percent of Hawaii is receiving less rainfall than it did in the previous century and there have been no rainy seasons with above-average precipitation since 2006; and

WHEREAS, as of January 2024 the Hawaiʻi Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions through west O'ahu; and

WHEREAS, a 2019 evaluation by the American Society of Civil Engineers revealed several vulnerabilities to Hawaii’s water supply, including aging infrastructure, lack of funding, and sea level rise; and

WHEREAS, in 2023 the Board of Water supply awarded a $204 million contract to Kalaeloa Desalco LLC to construct and open a desalination plant in Kapolei at Campbell Industrial Park with a targeted operational start date in 2027; and

WHEREAS, the Kalaeola Seawater Desalination Facility Project is currently set to produce 1.7 million gallons of fresh water daily to support the needs of the ʻEwa district, with additional expandable future phases; and

WHEREAS, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply pumps between 110 and 160 million gallons per day of potable water for the island of O'ahu; and

WHEREAS, the Red Hill fuel crisis resulted in a 17.5 million gallon per day capacity loss due to permanent well closures, comprising 20% of the water supply from Halawa to Hawaii Kai; and

WHEREAS, it is clear the impact of the Kalaeloa Seawater Desalination Facility Project will be minor relative to the substantial needs of O'ahu's residents; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Kalaeola Seawater Desalination Facility Project expand its initial final production capacity and be activated as soon as practicable; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Kalaeloa Desalco LLC, Nordic PCL Construction, PERC Water Corporation, Consolidated Water Co. Ltd., Pacific Advanced Civil Engineering, Bowers + Kubota, and members of the Honolulu City Council.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Board of Water Supply; Resource Access; Critical Infrastructure