Part I Administrative Structure 174C-1 – 174C-16
Part II Reports of Water Use 174C-26 – 174C-27
Part III Hawaii Water Plan 174C-31 – 174C-32
Part IV Regulation of Water Use 174C-41 – 174C-63
Part V Water Quality 174C-66 – 174C-68
Part VI Instream Uses of Water 174C-71
Part VII Wells 174C-81 – 174C-87
Part VIII Stream Diversion Works 174C-91 – 174C-95
Part IX Native Hawaiian Water Rights 174C-101

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 174C - State Water Code

  • Abandoned well: means any well:

    (1) The purpose or use of which has been permanently discontinued;
    (2) That has served its purpose;
    (3) That is not properly maintained;
    (4) The physical condition of which is causing a waste of ground water or is impairing or threatens to impair the quality of the ground water resources; or
    (5) That is in such a state of disrepair that its continued use is impractical or poses a hazard to public health or safety. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Adjournment sine die: The end of a legislative session "without day." These adjournments are used to indicate the final adjournment of an annual or the two-year session of legislature.
  • Administrative action: means the proposal, drafting, consideration, amendment, enactment, or defeat by any administrative agency of any rule or other action governed by section 91-3. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Administrative agency: means a commission, board, agency, or other body, or official in the state government that is not a part of the legislative or judicial branch. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Articles of incorporation: include amended and restated articles of incorporation and articles of merger. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Authorized planned use: means the use or projected use of water by a development that has received the proper state land use designation and county development plan/community plan approvals. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Board: means the board of land and natural resources. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • bonds: means bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness of the State issued pursuant to this part. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-31
  • bonds: means bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness of the State issued pursuant to this part. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-71
  • bonds: means bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness of the State issued pursuant to this part. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-111
  • bonds: means bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness of the State issued pursuant to this part. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-151
  • Chairperson: means the chairperson of the commission on water resource management. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Change in use: means any modification or change in water use from or to domestic, municipal, military, agriculture (including agricultural processing), or industrial uses. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Channel alteration: means : (1) to obstruct, diminish, destroy, modify, or relocate a stream channel; (2) to change the direction of flow of water in a stream channel; (3) to place any material or structures in a stream channel; and (4) to remove any material or structures from a stream channel. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Commission: means the commission on water resource management. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Contribution: includes a gift, subscription, forgiveness of a loan, advance, or deposit of money, or anything of value and includes a contract, promise, or agreement, whether or not enforceable, to make a contribution. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Department: means the department of budget and finance. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-31
  • Department: means the department of budget and finance. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-71
  • Department: means the department of budget and finance. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-111
  • Department: means the department of budget and finance. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-151
  • Department: means the department of land and natural resources. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Department director: means the director of commerce and consumer affairs, unless the context otherwise requires. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Distribution: means a direct or indirect transfer of money or other property (except its own shares) or incurrence of indebtedness by a corporation to or for the benefit of its shareholders in respect of any of its shares. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Electronic: means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 98-2
  • Electronic transmission: means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Emergency: means the absence of a sufficient quantity and quality of water in any area whether designated or not which threatens the public health, safety, and welfare as determined by the commission. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
  • Expenditure: includes a payment, distribution, forgiveness of a loan, advance, deposit, or gift of money, or anything of value and includes a contract, promise, or agreement, whether or not enforceable, to make an expenditure. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Ground water: means any water found beneath the surface of the earth, whether in perched supply, dike-confined, flowing, or percolating in underground channels or streams, under artesian pressure or not, or otherwise. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Hydrologic unit: means a surface drainage area or a ground water basin or a combination of the two. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Impoundment: means any lake, reservoir, pond, or other containment of surface water occupying a bed or depression in the earth's surface and having a discernible shoreline. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Individual: means a natural person. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Installation of pumps and pumping equipment: means the procedure employed in the placement and preparation for operation of pumps and pumping equipment, including all construction involved in making entrance to the well, and establishing seals and repairs to existing installations. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Instream flow standard: means a quantity or flow of water or depth of water which is required to be present at a specific location in a stream system at certain specified times of the year to protect fishery, wildlife, recreational, aesthetic, scenic, and other beneficial instream uses. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Instream use: means beneficial uses of stream water for significant purposes which are located in the stream and which are achieved by leaving the water in the stream. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Interim instream flow standard: means a temporary instream flow standard of immediate applicability, adopted by the commission without the necessity of a public hearing, and terminating upon the establishment of an instream flow standard. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Joint session: When both chambers of a legislature adopt a concurrent resolution to meet together.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Legal material: means , whether or not in effect:

    (1) The Constitution of the State of Hawaii;

    (2) The Session Laws of Hawaii;

    (3) The Hawaii Revised Statutes;

    (4) A state agency rule that has or had the effect of law;

    (5) Reported decisions of the following state courts: the supreme court of the State of Hawaii and the intermediate appellate court of the State of Hawaii; or

    (6) State court rules. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 98-2

  • Legislative action: means the sponsorship, drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, enactment, or defeat of any bill, resolution, amendment, report, nomination, appointment, or any other matter pending or proposed in the legislature. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Lobbying: means communicating directly or through an agent, or soliciting others to communicate, with any official in the legislative or executive branch, for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action or a ballot issue. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Lobbyist: means any individual who:

    (1) Receives or expects to receive, either by employment or contract, $1,000 or more in monetary or in-kind compensation in any calendar year for engaging in lobbying, either personally or through the lobbyist's agents; or

    (2) For pay or other consideration, on behalf of another person:

    (A) Engages in lobbying in excess of five hours in any month of any reporting period described in section 97-3;

    (B) Engages in lobbying in excess of ten hours during any calendar year; or

    (C) Makes expenditures of $1,000 or more of the person's or any other person's money lobbying during any reporting period described in section 97-3;

    provided that an employee of a nonprofit organization who spends fewer than ten hours in any month lobbying on a grant application submitted pursuant to chapter 42F is not a lobbyist if the employee does not engage in lobbying on matters that are unrelated to the grant application. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1

  • month: means a calendar month; and the word "year" a calendar year. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-20
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Nurse practitioner: means a person licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse under chapter 457. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 309H-1
  • oath: includes a solemn affirmation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-21
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Official publisher: means :

    (1) For the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, the revisor of statutes;

    (2) For the Session Laws of Hawaii, the revisor of statutes;

    (3) For the Hawaii Revised Statutes, the revisor of statutes;

    (4) For any administrative agency rules, the office of the governor;

    (5) For a state court decision included under paragraph (5) of the definition of "legal material" the supreme court; or

    (6) For state court rules, the supreme court. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 98-2

  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: means any and all persons, natural or artificial, including an individual, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, company, the United States of America, the State of Hawaii, and all political subdivisions, municipalities, and public agencies thereof. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Person: means a corporation, individual, union, association, firm, sole proprietorship, partnership, committee, club, or any other organization or a representative of a group of persons acting in concert. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 97-1
  • Person: includes individual and entity. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Physician: means a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery, as required by section 453-2. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 309H-1
  • Physician assistant: means a person licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician or osteopathic physician, as required by section 453-5. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 309H-1
  • Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • project: means any facility for each single project or multiproject program of a project party and includes any structure or building suitable for use as a hospital, clinic, nursing home, home for the aged or infirm, or other health care facility; laboratory; laundry; nurses' or [interns'] residences; administration building; research facility; maintenance, storage, or utility facility; auditorium; dining hall; food service and preparation facility; mental or physical health care facility; dental care facility; nursing school; medical or dental school or teaching facility; mental or physical health facilities related to any such structure or facility; equipment; software; or any other structure, facility, equipment, or software required or useful for the operation of a health care facility, including, but not limited to, offices, parking lots and garages, and other supporting service structures and all necessary, useful, and related equipment, furnishings, and appurtenances and including the acquisition, preparation, and development of all real and personal property necessary or convenient as a site or sites for any such structure or facility, and including the refinancing of outstanding obligations of a project party relating to any of the foregoing. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-31
  • Project: means any combination of land, buildings, and other improvements thereon, for use as a manufacturing enterprise, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, machinery, equipment, furnishings, and apparatus which shall be deemed necessary, suitable, or useful to such enterprise. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-71
  • Project: means any combination of land, buildings, and other improvements thereon, for use as a processing enterprise, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, machinery, equipment, furnishings, and apparatus which shall be deemed necessary, suitable, or useful to such enterprise. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-111
  • Project: means any combination of land, buildings, and other improvements thereon, including without limitation parking facilities, for use of, or for, or to assist an industrial enterprise, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, machinery, equipment, furnishings, and apparatus which shall be deemed necessary, suitable, or useful to such enterprise. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-151
  • Project agreement: means any agreement entered into under this part by the department with a project party providing for the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds to finance facilities of a project party or for a project party or to loan the proceeds of the bonds to assist not-for-profit corporations that provide health care facilities to the general public, including without limitation any loan agreement, lease, sublease, conditional sale agreement, or other similar financing contract or agreement, or any combination thereof, entered into by the department with a project party and, where necessary or appropriate, with a lender, lessor, or other third party. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-31
  • Project agreement: means any agreement entered into under this part by the department with a project party to financially assist a manufacturing enterprise from the proceeds of special purpose revenue bonds, including without limitation any loan agreement. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-71
  • Project agreement: means any agreement entered into under this part by the department with a project party to financially assist a processing enterprise from the proceeds of special purpose revenue bonds, including without limitation any loan agreement. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-111
  • Project agreement: means any agreement entered into under this part by the department with a project party to finance, construct, operate, or maintain a project from the proceeds of special purpose revenue bonds, or to lend the proceeds of special purpose revenue bonds to assist an industrial enterprise, including without limitation any loan agreement. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-151
  • Project party: means a not-for-profit corporation that provides health care facilities to the general public. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-31
  • Project party: means a person, firm, or corporation qualified to do business in this State and conducting or proposing to conduct a manufacturing enterprise in this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-71
  • Project party: means a person, firm, or corporation qualified to do business in this State and conducting or proposing to conduct a processing enterprise in this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-111
  • Project party: means a person, firm, or corporation qualified to do business in this State and conducting or proposing to conduct an industrial enterprise in this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 39A-151
  • Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
  • Pump installation contractor: means any person, firm, or corporation which is in the business of installing or repairing pumps and pumping equipment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Pumps and pumping equipment: means any equipment or materials utilized or intended for use in withdrawing or obtaining ground water. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Reasonable-beneficial use: means the use of water in such a quantity as is necessary for economic and efficient utilization, for a purpose, and in a manner which is both reasonable and consistent with the state and county land use plans and the public interest. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 98-2
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Repairs: means any change, replacement, or other alteration of any well, pump, or pumping equipment which requires a breaking or opening of the well seal. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Shareholder: means the person in whose name shares are registered in the records of a corporation or the beneficial owner of shares to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee certificate on file with a corporation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Shares: means the units into which the proprietary interests in a corporation are divided. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 98-2
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Stream: means any river, creek, slough, or natural watercourse in which water usually flows in a defined bed or channel. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Stream channel: means a natural or artificial watercourse with a definite bed and banks which periodically or continuously contains flowing water. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Stream diversion: means the act of removing water from a stream into a channel, pipeline, or other conduit. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Stream system: means the aggregate of water features comprising or associated with a stream, including the stream itself and its tributaries, headwaters, ponds, wetlands, and estuary. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Surface water: means both contained surface water--that is, water upon the surface of the earth in bounds created naturally or artificially including, but not limited to, streams, other watercourses, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters subject to state jurisdiction--and diffused surface water--that is, water occurring upon the surface of the ground other than in contained water bodies. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Sustainable yield: means the maximum rate at which water may be withdrawn from a water source without impairing the utility or quality of the water source as determined by the commission. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC
  • United States: includes district, authority, bureau, commission, department, and any other agency of the United States. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-3
  • Water management area: means a geographic area which has been designated pursuant to § 174C-41 as requiring management of the ground or surface water resource, or both. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Water source: means a place within or from which water is or may be developed, including but not limited to: (1) generally, an area such as a watershed defined by topographic boundaries, or a definitive ground water body; and (2) specifically, a particular stream, other surface water body, spring, tunnel, or well or related combination thereof. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Watercourse: means a stream and any canal, ditch, or other artificial watercourse in which water usually flows in a defined bed or channel. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • waters of the State: means any and all water on or beneath the surface of the ground, including natural or artificial watercourses, lakes, ponds, or diffused surface water and water percolating, standing, or flowing beneath the surface of the ground. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Well: means an artificial excavation or opening into the ground, or an artificial enlargement of a natural opening by which ground water is drawn or is or may be used or can be made to be usable to supply reasonable and beneficial uses within the State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-3
  • Well construction: means the producing of any well, including the construction, alteration, or repair thereof, but excluding the installation of pumps and pumping equipment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Well driller: means any person, firm, or corporation which constructs, alters, or repairs wells. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81
  • Well seal: means an approved arrangement or device used to cap a well or to establish and maintain a junction between the casing or curbing of a well and the piping or equipment installed therein, the purpose or function of which is to prevent pollutants from entering the well at the other terminal. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 174C-81