Committee advances TOD amendments adding gray‑water reuse as community benefit

The Committee on Zoning and Planning voted to report Bill 21 (2026) out for passage on second reading and to schedule a public hearing. The bill would amend the land‑use ordinance (ROH Chapter 21) to expand the Transit‑Oriented Development (TOD) community benefits toolkit to include gray‑water reuse systems and make conforming amendments across the TOD special district code.

Committee discussion focused on how gray‑water reuse—defined in state law as water that has not contacted toilet waste—could be proposed by developers as a community benefit to offset height or density bonuses. Department staff and council members said gray‑water systems could reduce potable water demand in areas where additional height and density are sought, but acknowledged installation costs may be high and that the Department of Health rules (HRS Ch. 342D‑1 referenced) govern water quality and system oversight.

Councilmember Waters pressed how existing TOD community plans would be affected and raised a separate policy question about attaching affordable‑housing requirements to hotel or condo‑hotel components. Staff said conforming amendments would not automatically change every community plan, but TOD permit decisions would need to remain generally consistent with applicable plans; the department noted that condo‑hotel units have previously raised concerns about avoiding affordable‑housing triggers.

Members expressed broad support for the gray‑water provision while flagging follow‑up questions about technical standards, oversight, and how affordable‑housing definitions apply to mixed‑use projects. The committee recommended Bill 21, 2026 be reported out for passage on second reading and public hearing with no objections recorded.