HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	322
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the State water code.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that residents in many rural areas throughout the State do not have ready access to potable water.  There are approximately thirty thousand to sixty thousand persons in rural areas of Hawaii that rely on water catchment to meet their potable water needs, and the majority of households that rely on catchment water are located on Hawaii island in the Puna, Kau, and Hamakua districts.  The legislature further finds that federal moneys are available for local water supply projects through the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service.  The legislature finds that the provision of potable water to each populated area of the State offers the opportunity to improve the safety of drinking water available to residents, create jobs constructing water supply infrastructure, and increase the value of homes and property to which water is supplied.

     The purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Require each county's board or department of water supply to submit to the legislature for approval a plan to provide access to potable water to each populated area of the county; and

     (2)  Require each county to seek federal funding to carry out its water access plan before using state or county moneys.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 174C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§174C-    Statewide water access plan, federal funding, legislative approval. (a)  No later than January 1, 2013, each county's board or department of water supply shall submit to the legislature a plan to provide water access to each populated area of its respective county.

(b)  Upon approval by the legislature, each county's board or department of water supply shall carry out its proposed plan to provide water access.  Each county's board or department of water supply shall submit annual progress reports to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session.

(c)  In carrying out its proposed plan to provide water access, each county board or department of water supply first shall apply for and accept any available federal moneys before utilizing state or county moneys.

(d)  As used in this section:

"Populated area" means a geographic area with greater than       residents per square mile."

"Water access" means the provision of potable water for the use of residents, but shall not necessarily include the construction of pipelines or waterworks to provide water directly to each individual home or residence."

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

State Water Code; County Water Access Plan

Description:

Requires each county to submit a water access plan to the legislature and seek federal funding to carry out its water access plan.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.