HB2245 • 2026

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: LOWEN, EVSLIN, KAHALOA, PERRUSO
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information on the consequences for non-compliance with the new requirements.

Protecting Nearshore Waters from Pollution

This bill requires new or modified individual wastewater systems near shorelines or in highly porous soils to include denitrification capacity, which reduces nitrogen pollution.

What This Bill Does

Requires newly installed or modified individual wastewater systems within 200 feet of a shoreline to have denitrification capacity starting July 1, 2027.
Requires new or modified wastewater systems in counties with populations between 190,000 and 800,000 that are near shorelines in highly porous soils to include denitrification capacity starting July 1, 2027.
The Department of Health is required to reduce requirements for leach fields and other disposal systems connected to wastewater systems with denitrification capacity.

Who It Names or Affects

People who install or modify individual wastewater systems near shorelines or in highly porous soils starting July 1, 2027.
The Department of Health which will reduce requirements for leach fields and other disposal systems connected to wastewater systems with denitrification capacity.

Terms To Know

denitrification capacity: A system's ability to remove nitrogen from wastewater, certified by the National Sanitation Foundation and American National Standards Institute Standard 245.
highly porous substrate: Soil with a porosity over seventy-five percent, allowing water to pass through easily.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the requirements are not met.
It is unclear how this will affect existing wastewater systems that do not meet these new standards.
The effective date of July 1, 3000, seems to be a placeholder and likely needs correction.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires new or modified individual wastewater systems near shorelines or in highly porous soils to include denitrification capacity starting July 1, 2027.

Newly installed or modified individual wastewater systems within 200 feet of a shoreline must have denitrification capacity starting July 1, 2027.
In counties with populations between 190,000 and 800,000, new or modified wastewater systems in highly porous soils up to 1,200 feet from the shoreline must include denitrification capacity starting July 1, 2027.
The Department of Health is required to reduce requirements for disposal systems connected to wastewater systems with denitrification capacity.

The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and may be a typographical error.

Bill History

2026-02-10 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-09 H
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 79-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2026-02-05 H
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 02-05-26 9:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-30 H
Referred to EEP, WAL, FIN, referral sheet 5
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-26 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
DOH; Individual Wastewater Systems; Nearshore Waters; Shorelines; Denitrification Capacity
Beginning 7/1/2027, requires newly installed or modified individual wastewater systems that are near the shoreline or on highly porous soils to include denitrification capacity. Requires the Department of Health to reduce requirements for disposal systems connected to wastewater systems with denitrification capacity. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2245

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2245

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the environment
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that protecting the State's nearshore waters is important for
public health and ecosystem resilience.
�

Clean nearshore waters free of pollutants support the coral reef systems
that are critical for protecting the State's shoreline, healthy recreation, and
fisheries.
�
Coral reefs that are
protected from land-based pollutants, especially from wastewater pollutants,
are better able to recover from ocean-warming events.
�
Many conventional individual wastewater
systems release nitrogen pollution into the groundwater that can be harmful to
coral reefs, especially in areas with highly porous soils.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
require:

����
(1)
�
Newly
installed or modified individual wastewater systems that are near the shoreline
or on highly porous soils to include denitrification capacity; and

����
(2)
�
The
department of health to reduce requirements for leach fields and wastewater
systems with denitrification capacity.

����
SECTION 2.
�

Chapter 342D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new
section to part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

����
"
�342D-
�
Individual
wastewater systems; denitrification capacity.
�
(a)
�
Beginning July 1, 2027, each
individual wastewater system that is newly installed or modified shall have
denitrification capacity if the wastewater system is located within two hundred
feet from a shoreline.

����
(b)
�
Beginning July 1, 2027, each individual
wastewater system that is newly installed or modified in counties with a
population greater than one hundred ninety thousand and less than eight hundred
thousand shall have denitrification capacity if the wastewater system is
located within twelve hundred feet from a shoreline in an area with highly
porous substrate as shown on the United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resource Conservation Service's Web Soil Survey or the state geographic
information system program.

����
(c)
�
The department shall provide appropriate
reductions in leach field and other requirements for systems with
denitrification capacity.

����
(d)
�
For the purposes of this section:

����
"Denitrification
capacity" means certified to meet the guidelines of the National
Sanitation Foundation and American National Standards Institute Standard 245
for residential wastewater treatment systems-nitrogen reduction, with a minimum
fifty per cent reduction in nitrogen.

����
"Highly
porous substrate" means soil with a porosity over seventy-five per cent.

����
"Shoreline"
means the highest wash of high tide waves as determined in a certification by
the department of land and natural resources.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�

New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH;
Individual Wastewater Systems; Nearshore Waters; Shorelines; Denitrification
Capacity

Description:

Beginning
7/1/2027, requires newly installed or modified individual wastewater systems
that are near the shoreline or on highly porous soils to include
denitrification capacity.
�
Requires the Department
of Health to provide appropriate reductions in requirements to leach fields and
wastewater systems with denitrification capacity.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.