Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) yesterday, introduced the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 authorizing three water reclamation projects in the State of Hawaii. This legislation is identical to legislation he introduced in the 108th Congress that passed the Senate by unanimous consent on May 19, 2004.

The legislation, the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005, authorizes federal participation in the design, planning, and construction of three water reclamation projects. The first project, in Honolulu, will provide reliable potable water through resource diversification to meet existing and future demands, particularly in the Ewa area of Oahu where water demands are outpacing the availability of drinking water. The second project, in North Kona, will address the issue of effluent being discharged into a temporary disposal sump from the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project would utilize subsurface wetlands to naturally clean the effluent and convey the recycled water to a number of users. The third project, in Lahaina, will reduce the use of potable water by extending the County of Maui's main recycled water pipeline.

The Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005 builds upon P.L. 106-566, the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2000, legislation that Senator Akaka authored in 1999 directing the Bureau of Reclamation to survey irrigation and water delivery systems in Hawaii.

Senator Akaka said, "While the Act resulted in the development of the initial Hawaii Drought Plan in 2000, it is imperative for Hawaii to improve its ways to reduce consumption of drinking water. The legislation that I am introducing today, the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2005, will help the State of Hawaii to be proactive by authorizing projects that will address the demand on our freshwater supply, especially on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii."