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Hawaii regulators convene to coordinate water utility oversight and highlight SRF disaster funding eligibility
Summary
Representatives from the Public Utilities Commission, Safe Drinking Water Branch, Commission on Water Resource Management and other agencies met to map roles, discuss small-system vulnerabilities and note Hawaii's eligibility for EPA SRF disaster assistance tied to the 2023 wildfires.
Representatives from four state agencies met in a collaboration session to clarify regulatory roles for water utilities and to identify shared priorities, including access to federal disaster relief through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs.
Joy Gannon, with Rural Community Assistance Corporation, opened the meeting by framing the event as a chance to "understand the role of each of our state agencies" and to look for opportunities to reduce overlapping or conflicting actions that could harm constituents. She cited recent policy and operational changes that increase the need for coordination, including new contaminants such as PFAS, public-safety power shutoffs and drought conditions on several islands.
The meeting assembled officials from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Department of Health Safe Drinking Water Branch (SDWB), the Department of Land and Natural Resources Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM, referred to in the meeting as "SeaWorm") and the Consumer Advocate's office. Dennis Galdencho Lopez, branch chief for the Safe Drinking Water Branch, described the SDWB's statutory authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act, implemented in Hawaii through Hawaii Revised Statutes and Hawai`i Administrative Rules, and outlined the branch's responsibilities for operator certification, sanitary surveys and contaminant monitoring.
Funding and disaster relief were a major topic. Gannon identified federal SRF balances, saying the Clean Water SRF had "a total of 1,230,000,000.00" and the Drinking Water SRF "1,770,000,000.00," and noted that Hawaii is among seven states eligible for disaster relief funding due to the 2023 wildfire. Dennis Lopez clarified the state-level appropriation: "Hawaii's appropriation for the recovery is specifically for wildfire" and, while the nationwide funds are large, "Hawaii's total appropriation with clean water and drinking water SRF programs ... is just under a hundred million." Lopez also said that the Maui Department of Water Supply requested $250 million and received $66 million as part of recovery discussions.
Speakers stressed that collaboration will take time, persistence and funding. Gannon urged a balanced approach across agencies to protect source water, maintain reliable service and ensure economically reasonable rates. Dennis Galdencho Lopez and other SDWB staff outlined how sanitary surveys, monitoring and enforcement fit into that shared effort. The session also included presentations on small-system operations, metering and water audits, and time for questions about emergency generators, cybersecurity and conservation options.
Participants agreed that continued interagency communication and coordinated technical support to small and PUC-regulated systems are priorities going forward, and several presenters said they would make presentation materials available to attendees.
Ending: The meeting moved into working sessions and planned facility visits and follow-up materials; attendees were encouraged to use the contacts provided by SDWB and partner organizations to pursue funding, technical assistance and regulatory clarifications.
