Bill Text: HI SB1466 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Cesspools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-12-11 - Carried over to 2024 Regular Session. [SB1466 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-SB1466-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1466 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION
1. The legislature finds that
there are approximately eighty-three thousand cesspools across the State, with
48,596 on Hawaii island, 14,300 on Kauai, 11,038 on Maui, 7,491 on Oahu, and 1,400
on Molokai. Pursuant to Act 125, Session
Laws of Hawaii 2017, every cesspool in the State, excluding cesspools granted
exemptions by the director of health, must be upgraded or converted to a
director of health-approved wastewater system or connected to a sewerage system by January 1, 2050.
Additionally,
the legislature also finds that because many cesspools will need to be
converted each year, planning and coordination need to occur between state and
county agencies, communities and residents affected, and those involved in the
replacement of cesspools to ensure an adequate supply of materials, workers,
and equipment as demand to convert increases.
The
legislature further finds that the counties are responsible for wastewater
management and are in the best position to identify priority neighborhoods that
are conducive to connection to an existing or proposed wastewater treatment
system; conduct necessary public outreach to communicate to affected residents;
conduct appropriate feasibility studies; plan, design, and construct wastewater
connections and improvements; and implement user connection and monthly billing
fees.
As
such, the legislature additionally finds that creating a pilot program that
provides upfront planning funds might encourage the counties to identify the
most feasible neighborhoods to connect to an existing or future wastewater
treatment plant, engage communities in the discussion, conduct preliminary
engineering, and estimate upfront and ongoing costs. A successful pilot program could provide the
necessary data and plans to assist the counties to implement wastewater
connections and scale future programs to ensure cesspools are converted by 2050.
Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Establish a pilot program within the environmental management division of the department of health to work with each county to identify a priority area to expand the county sewerage system or other centralized treatment system to connect individual properties in the priority area and reduce or eliminate cesspools in the identified area; and
(2) Appropriate funds to the department of health to provide planning grants to each county for a pilot cesspool conversion project.
SECTION 2. (a) There is established a pilot program within
the environmental management division of the department of health to work with
the four counties to:
(1) Identify a priority area in each county to expand the county sewerage system or other centralized treatment system to connect individual properties in the priority area and reduce or eliminate cesspools in the identified area;
(2) Meet
with appropriate community stakeholders and homeowners to gather input
regarding plans for the pilot project;
(3) Conduct
planning and design;
(4) Estimate
capital and ongoing maintenance costs; and
(5) Equitably
allocate the funds available to each county to carry out the pilot project.
(b) Each county shall submit a report on the progress
made on priority areas to convert or upgrade cesspools to a director of health-approved
wastewater system to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening
of the regular sessions of 2024, 2025, and 2026. The report shall include:
(1) The location, costs of the cesspool conversion project, and number of homes or units assisted;
(2) Outreach efforts conducted with community
stakeholders and homeowners on the pilot project;
(3) Status of planning and design;
(4) Estimated capital and maintenance expenses and
potential sources of revenues to construct projects; and
(5) Recommendations for future priority areas
suitable for municipal sewer connections to further eliminate cesspools in
their counties.
(c) The pilot program shall cease to exist on
June 30, 2026.
(d) As used in this section, "cesspool"
has the same meaning as in section 342D-72, Hawaii
Revised Statutes.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $10,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the establishment of a pilot program within the environmental management division of the department of health to work with each county to identify a priority area to expand the county sewerage system or other centralized treatment system to connect individual properties in the priority area and reduce or eliminate cesspools in the identified area. The environmental management division of the department of health may obtain contractor support to provide any services required to establish and implement the pilot program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.
Report Title:
Cesspools; Pilot Program; Counties; Priority Area; Appropriation
Description:
Establishes and appropriates funds for a pilot program within the Environmental Management Division of the Department of Health to work with each county to identify a priority area to expand the county sewerage system or other centralized treatment system to connect individual properties in the priority area and reduce or eliminate cesspools in the identified area. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
