Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, Energy and Environment and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 606 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote the use of recycled water for state and county facilities and improved commercial properties that use potable water irrigation systems.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, County of Kauai, County of Hawaii, County of Maui, and Hawaii Water Environment Association. The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and Grove Farm Company, Incorporated, submitted testimony in opposition. The Environmental Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and Life of the Land submitted comments.

Your Committees find that in areas where comparable laws are in effect, there have been significant expansions of reclaimed water programs and use of recycled water has helped reduce the use of potable water for non-potable uses.

Your Committees have also heard the concerns from Hawaii's agricultural industry that mandatory use of recycled water may raise food safety issues for vegetable farmers and that some nurseries are required to use potable water.

Your Committees find all these points to be well taken and have amended this measure to encourage the use of recycled water, rather than make it mandatory. Your Committees believe this will strike a balance between resource protection and consumer protection in a feasible manner.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Energy and Environment and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 606, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 606, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.