US Rep. Tokuda secures $1.1 million for Lahaina water plant upgrades

US Rep. Jill Tokuda backed a bipartisan minibus funding package Thursday that includes $1,092,000 for the Maui County to upgrade the Lahaina Water Treatment Plant.

The legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 397-28, now moves to the Senate. The package includes funding for the departments of Commerce, Justice, Energy and Interior, as well as science agencies.

The Maui County funding is earmarked for rehabilitating waterlines, modernizing source wells and adding backup water storage at the Lahaina facility.

“This funding package takes a critical step toward fully funding the government and delivers real investments in clean water, research, jobs, and public safety that strengthen Hawaiʻi’s communities,” Tokuda said. “At a time when people are already worried about making ends meet, they should not be burdened with the added instability of another government shutdown. I will continue to fight for the economic certainty and security that all Americans deserve.”

Other Hawaiʻi projects included in the measure:

• $1,092,000 for Kauaʻi County to build a 1-million-gallon water storage tank in Kīlauea, replacing an aging facility.
• $995,000 for the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo to purchase spectrometry equipment for the Volcano Monitoring and Geoarchaeology Laboratory.
• $775,000 for the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Research to develop the Wailoa Fisheries Research Station in Hilo.

The legislation also enacts provisions from the Native Arts and Culture Promotion Act, which was introduced by Tokuda. The provisions aim to streamline the grant application process for Native Hawaiian–serving organizations.

Additional programmatic funding that will benefit Hawaiʻi includes:

• $6.2 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for fisheries management, coral reef restoration and climate resilience.
• $3.3 billion for the National Park Service to protect national parks and cultural sites.
• $720 million for Violence Against Women Act grants for shelter, counseling and legal aid.
• $375 million for Juvenile Justice grants for youth diversion and restorative justice initiatives.
• $50 million for the Minority Business Development Agency to assist minority-owned businesses.
• $1.9 million to protect Hawaiian forest birds such as the ʻiʻiwi and ʻākepa.