THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

107

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING A STUDY to FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE ALGAE GROWTH IN THE CAPITOL POOLs.

 

WHEREAS, the water in the pools surrounding the Capitol building is symbolically meaningful as representing the ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands; and

WHEREAS, the pools have always presented persistent and pernicious problems with algae growth; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Accounting and General Services states that the water is brackish and nutrient rich, which when combined with the lack of a circulation system, the pools' large surface area, shallow depth, and an abundance of sunlight, results in vigorous algae growth; and

WHEREAS, the State has tried several methods over the years to control or eliminate the algae, including the current ozone treatment system at a cost of $90,000 to install and $5,000 a year to maintain, a mixed-oxident generator at $74,000 per year, and tilapia fish at $31,000 per year; and

WHEREAS, some people who work at the Capitol say that the ozone treatment has not made much of a difference; and

WHEREAS, the ozone treatment is labor-intensive as seen by the regular appearance of maintenance personnel to clean the pools; and

WHEREAS, it was reported in 1998 that City and County of Honolulu spends $7,500 per year to maintain the brackish water pools at the Blaisdell Center, less than one-tenth of the cost the State paid to maintain the Capitol pools; and

 

WHEREAS, the Capitol pools present a number of issues:

(1) Structural concerns such as the pools' depth, circulation, and filtration;

(2) Environmental concerns such as the need for a balanced environment if fish and microorganisms are used, and the need to obtain permits to continue to dump the water into Kewalo Basin; and

(3) The Capitol's listing on the National Register of Historic Buildings; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa is a repository of knowledge, expertise, and experimentation in a wide variety of fields such as ocean science, biochemistry, molecular biology, marine biology, engineering, hydraulics, and environmental science; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii could hold the answer to the algae problem in the Capitol pools; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the House of Representatives concurring, that the University of Hawaii at Manoa is requested to conduct a study to identify a cost-effective solution to the Capitol pools algae problem; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that consideration be given to conducting the study as a senior project or directed study, perhaps in the College of Engineering (environmental engineering or ocean resources engineering); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Accounting and General Services is requested to collaborate and cooperate with the University of Hawaii in this study; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii is requested to report findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2004; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Hawaii and the Comptroller.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Capitol Pools Algae Study