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Bill

SR 99

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF ALLOWING BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE STATE TO UTILIZE FILTERED WATER COLLECTED BY WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS FOR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Stanley Chang and 6 co-sponsors

Hawaii requests health department study on whether businesses can use filtered rainwater from catchment systems for commercial operations.

Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1).
#businessactivitywatercatchmentworkinggroup #doh #watersupply
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Bill Summary · SR 99

Legislative bill overview

SR 99 requests Hawaii's Department of Health to establish a working group that will study whether business owners can legally use filtered rainwater from catchment systems for commercial operations. The resolution directs this feasibility assessment to examine regulatory, safety, and implementation considerations before any operational changes occur.

Why is this important

Water is a critical resource in Hawaii, where drought conditions and freshwater scarcity are recurring challenges. Allowing businesses to utilize captured rainwater could reduce municipal water demand, lower operational costs for businesses, and provide drought resilience—though only if water quality and public health standards can be reliably maintained across diverse business types and catchment systems.

Potential points of contention

  • Water quality and safety standards: Filtered rainwater quality varies significantly based on catchment system design, maintenance, and local environmental factors. Determining acceptable filtration standards and testing requirements for different business uses (food preparation vs. landscaping) will require clear technical specifications.
  • Regulatory complexity and liability: Establishing which businesses can use catchment water, what filtration/treatment is mandatory, and who bears liability for contamination-related illnesses or property damage will likely create implementation challenges and dispute between health departments and business interests.
  • Equity and precedent concerns: Allowing some businesses to reduce water costs through catchment systems while others cannot may create competitive disparities; this could also set precedent for residential use that regulators may later struggle to control or enforce uniformly.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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