STAND. COM. REP. NO. 185

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 909

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 909 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER CONSERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Water Neutrality Turf Replacement Program (Program) to provide financial incentives to replace irrigated turf with water-wise landscaping; and

(2) Establish a Water Neutrality Turf Replacement Special Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the average residential household consumes between 6,000 to 9,000 gallons of water per month, with approximately half of that for outdoor use. A turf replacement program could save an average of 45,000 gallons per year of fresh water per participating household on Oahu alone. This measure would provide turf replacement incentives that may be an effective way to reduce residential and landscape irrigation water use.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Program shall be a two-year pilot program in the County of Maui and administered by the County of Maui Department of Water Supply;

(2) Including reporting requirements on the implementation of the Program;

(3) Removing the Water Neutrality Turf Replacement Special Fund;

(4) Inserting a blank appropriation as a grant-in-aid to the County of Maui Department of Water Supply for the implementation of the Program;

(5) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 909, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 909, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Economic Development.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair