THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	128
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the city and county of honolulu department of ENVIRONMENTAL services to waive sewer service charges for residents of any COmmunity within the area designated by zip code 96706, as those communities are located in close proximity to the honouliuli wastewater treatment plant.

 

 

        WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services collects approximately one hundred ten million gallons of wastewater per day from the toilets, sinks, and drains of homes and businesses located on Oahu; and

 

        WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu owns or operates nine wastewater treatment plants across the island of Oahu, including the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Ewa Beach; and

 

        WHEREAS, wastewater treatment facilities process wastewater by screening to remove debris, settling to remove organic solids, and treating to different levels, depending on the capacity of each particular facility; and

 

        WHEREAS, effluent, or treated wastewater, is discharged to the ocean, a reservoir, or an underground injection well, depending on the treatment level administered to the wastewater; and

 

        WHEREAS, solid waste matter collected during the wastewater treatment process is retained in enclosed heated tanks; pressure-cooked to break the bond with water; broken down further by bacteria to reduce volume, odors, and microorganisms that can cause disease; and eventually sent to a landfill or recycled as fertilizer; and

 

        WHEREAS, a study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health in 2016 performed a case control study to investigate any impacts on the quality of life of people living close to a municipal wastewater treatment plant; and

 

        WHEREAS, this study found that there was a significant risk for symptoms including headache, unusual tiredness, and concentration difficulties among the population studied; and

 

        WHEREAS, this study further found increased possibility for respiratory and skin diseases as well as high rates of gastrointestinal symptoms and irritable and moody behavior; and

 

        WHEREAS, due to their close proximity to the Honouliuli wastewater treatment plant, the communities within the area designated by zip code 96706 may be at higher risk for negative health and quality of life impacts; now, therefore,

 

        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services is requested to waive sewer service charges for residents of any community within the area designated by zip code 96706, as those communities are located in close proximity to the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, each member of the Honolulu City Council, and Director of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant; Exemptions for Area Residents