Requesting The Department Of Land And Natural Resources To Convene And Provide Administrative Assistance To A Desalination Planning Task Force To Determine Whether The Use Of Desalination For Large-scale Water Consumption In The State Is Feasible.
SR36 is a Senate Resolution requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene and provide administrative support for a Desalination Planning Task Force. The task force would study whether desalination is a feasible large-scale water source for Hawaii, with attention to the state’s freshwater scarcity, dependence on aquifers, climate change, population growth, tourism, and the need for more resilient water supplies. It is also directed to examine how desalination could supplement existing groundwater and surface water resources and help meet future water demand for housing, agriculture, and industry.
The resolution specifies a broad membership for the task force, including water resource management, health, agriculture, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, legislative water committees, and county water officials. The task force must evaluate technical, environmental, cultural, and planning issues, including energy use, brine disposal, impacts on historical and Native Hawaiian cultural sites, and whether desalination can be integrated into statewide water management plans. It must report findings and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2026 session and dissolve by June 30, 2026.
SR36 does not directly amend state law, but it creates a legislative request for an interagency planning process that could lead to future legislation or policy changes. If implemented, it would involve DLNR, the Commission on Water Resource Management, the Department of Health, the Board of Agriculture, OHA, county water agencies, and legislative committees in a formal study of desalination as part of Hawaii’s water supply strategy. The resolution also signals potential future impacts on water planning, infrastructure development, environmental review, and cultural resource protection if desalination projects are pursued.
The overall sentiment appears supportive and exploratory. The resolution frames desalination as a promising but not yet proven solution to Hawaii’s water scarcity challenges, emphasizing the need for a careful feasibility study rather than immediate deployment. The committee vote reflected clear support, with the Senate Water and Land Committee passing the measure unanimously, 5-0, with amendments.
The main points of contention are not about whether water scarcity is a problem, but about whether desalination is the right response. The resolution itself highlights concerns that desalination is cost-prohibitive and energy-intensive, and it requires the task force to examine brine disposal, environmental impacts, and possible interference with historical sites, Native Hawaiian cultural sites, and burial sites. Another area of concern is whether desalination can be realistically integrated into statewide water management plans and whether it can meaningfully address future demand and the Red Hill-related water crisis.