STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1278

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 12

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 12 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE UTILIZATION OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IRRIGATION TO CONSERVE OUTDOOR WATER USAGE WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage conservation of the State's water resources through the implementation of best management practices in water use for outdoor landscaping and irrigation.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from William Aila, Jr., Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Transportation; Milton D. Pavao, Department of Water Supply, County of Hawaii; Wayne Hashiro, Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu; Chris Dacus, Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii; The Nature Conservancy; Rick Barboza, Hui Ku Maoli Ola; Bruce Guard, ISI Hawaii Water Solutions; Allan and Pamela Schildknecht; Boyd Ready; Josephine Hoh; Matt Lyum; and Jennifer Lucien.

     Your Committees find that about fifty percent of household water consumption is for outdoor irrigation and that roughly fifty percent of that water is wasted.  Maintaining and installing efficient irrigation systems are effective means of conserving water for drinking, reducing run-off, and optimizing the health of the plants and citizens of the State.  Your Committees also find that encouraging best management practices for outdoor landscape water use is consistent with the water conservation goals and objectives of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Commission on Water Resource Management and the State Water Code, chapter 174C, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Your Committees further find that the use of best management practices for outdoor landscaping and irrigation will not only conserve the State's precious water supply but also yield financial savings to those who use these practices, including state agencies, thereby conserving the agencies' budgets and the overall budget of the State.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 12, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 12, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair