Hawaii State Overview

The State of Hawaii and the Department of Health was delegated authority by the EPA to implement their own National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Program in November of 1974. Since the birth of the State’s NPDES Program, the Hawaii Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch is currently structured to implement and maintain the Statewide Clean Water Program for recreational and ecosystem protection services by incorporating: (1) engineering analysis and permitting; (2) water quality monitoring; (3) water quality violation enforcement; and (4) polluted runoff control management.

The Engineering Section of Hawaii’s Clean Water Branch administers the following:

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Program for discharges of wastewater from municipal, industrial and federal facilities.

• NPDES Permitting Program for discharges of stormwater from Municipal Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) and industrial facilities. 

• Issues Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certifications for federal permit for construction near shore or inland waters.    

The Monitoring Section of Hawaii’s Clean Water Branch identifies and evaluates the following:

• Sources of water pollution through area surveillance, compliance inspections and complaint investigations.

• The impact of water pollutants on public health.

• Compliance with rules by source testing, water sampling and other studies.

The Enforcement Section of Hawaii’s Clean Water Branch determines the following:

• Compliance with permit conditions through site inspections and water source testing.

• Corrective action measures through administrative court mandates.

The Hawaii Clean Water Branch requires operators of a construction site to apply for coverage under their Construction General Permit (CGP) if their project will: (1) result in the disturbance of one (1) acre or more of total land area via clearing, grading and excavation; (2) result in disturbances less than one (1) acre of total land area that is part of a larger common plan of development or sale if the larger common plan will ultimately disturb one (1) acre or more of total land area.