HRS Chapter 174C / CWRM & GWMA
HRS Chapter 174C is Hawaiʻi's State Water Code. It establishes the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) and the framework of aquifer systems, sustainable-yield limits, and designated Water Management Areas that govern how much groundwater can be drawn and where.
Where an aquifer is stressed, CWRM can designate it a Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) under HRS §174C-41. Inside a designated GWMA, a new or expanded use of water generally requires a Water Use Permit from the Commission — a discretionary approval that turns on available sustainable yield.
For a well-dependent or large-water-use project, GWMA designation is a material feasibility factor: it can mean the difference between drilling a well as of right and competing for a permit against a capped sustainable yield.
If a parcel depends on a well or a large water commitment and sits in a designated Water Management Area, water availability becomes a gating question, not an afterthought. Screening for GWMA designation and aquifer context early tells you whether water is a green light or a long pole.
An aquifer that CWRM has designated under HRS §174C-41 because it's stressed. Inside a designated GWMA, new or expanded water use generally requires a Water Use Permit tied to available sustainable yield.
This is a plain-language reference, not legal advice. KILO is a pre-development screening tool, not a system of record — confirm any determination with the agency of jurisdiction.