Honolulu County, HI Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- Chief engineer, Dept. of Facility Maintenance
- Permit fee
- $200 per application
- Civil penalty
- $1,000-$25,000 per violation/day
- Criminal penalty
- Up to 90 days jail
- Applies
- Islandwide, all of Oahu
Summary
Honolulu bans dumping pollutants or unpermitted effluent into drainage facilities and requires a chief engineer permit for any non-stormwater discharge into the city's storm sewer system.
No person shall discharge any effluent other than stormwater runoff onto any public right-of-way or into any drainage facility, or both, without first obtaining a permit from the chief engineer. ... It shall be unlawful to discharge any stormwater on any public right-of-way that creates a drainage problem or causes a nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Supplement 10, 12-2025 Ordinance No. 25-40 through Ordinance No. 25-56).
Full Breakdown
Under ROH § 43-11.22, no one may discharge effluent other than stormwater runoff onto a public right-of-way or into a drainage facility without a permit from the chief engineer, who issues permits only when the discharge won't create a drainage or pollution problem or violate the city's NPDES permit. Separately, § 43-11.23 makes it unlawful to discharge any pollutant that causes a pollution problem in state waters or an NPDES violation, to dump domestic or industrial wastewater into drainage facilities, or to discharge stormwater onto a right-of-way that creates a drainage problem or nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Administrative/civil penalty of $1,000 to $25,000 per violation per day; criminal conviction carries a fine of $1,000-$25,000 or up to 90 days imprisonment, or both (ROH § 43-11.28).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I discharge water from a pool or construction site into the street gutter in Honolulu?
What counts as an illegal drainage discharge under Honolulu's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
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