CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 8-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2012

RE:    S.B. No. 2640

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2640, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTEWATER,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to allow the use of individual wastewater systems as an on-site means of wastewater disposal in lieu of county-operated wastewater treatment works, under certain circumstances.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that with growing pressures on Hawaii's limited freshwater aquifers and aging and expensive wastewater collection and treatment facilities on each island, this measure facilitates Hawaii's sustainability efforts.  Gray water recycling systems conserve water and reduce the burden on the environment and wastewater treatment facilities.  Gray water is simply wastewater generated from domestic processes such as washing dishes, laundry, and bathing.  The intent of your Committee on Conference is to lessen wastewater loading to county wastewater treatment plants.  Your Committee on Conference notes that this measure requires the counties to adopt ordinances or administrative rules to effectuate this measure.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the deadline for county rulemaking to December 31, 2014;

     (2)  Excluding cesspools in special management areas, rather than in coastal areas, from the individual wastewater treatment systems for which counties may permit use; and

     (3)  Changing the effective date to upon approval.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2640, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2640, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair
____________________________ DENNY COFFMAN, Co-Chair	____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Co-Chair
____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Co-Chair	____________________________ RONALD D. KOUCHI, Co-Chair