government doc

Lahaina Aquifer Sector Designation

CWRM (State of Hawai'i)

CWRM (State of Hawai'i), June 2022

water policy data
State-level regulatory control over all water withdrawals in the Lahaina sector

The June 2022 designation of the Lahaina Aquifer Sector as a Water Management Area is discussed extensively in the thesis. The designation shifted water permitting from County to State Commission on Water Resource Management, meaning water is no longer a guaranteed right attached to land ownership. All users must apply for Water Use Permits; the Commission must prioritize public trust purposes — traditional usage, DHHL allocations — over other uses. The thesis notes this designation predated the fire by fourteen months but now governs every rebuilding effort, as state water use permits stack on top of county building permits. Diverting stream water now requires rigorous permitting prioritizing instream flow standards over off-stream uses.