Statewide Framework
The State Water Code calls for coordination between the Commission, the counties, and other state agencies to “formulate an integrated and coordinated program for the protection, conservation, and management of waters in each county …” To effectively implement these requirements, a Statewide Framework for Updating the Hawaiʻi Water Plan (Framework)was created in 2000 to address current complexities associated with planning, regulation, and management of our water resources. This planning framework is intended to guide the integration and updating of all the components of the Hawaiʻi Water Plan (HWP).
Hawaiʻi Water Plan Framework Update 2026
Since the passage of the Hawaiʻi Water Code in 1987, water resource planning was meant to help the Water Commission effectively manage freshwater resources statewide. Some have referred to the Hawai‘i Water Plan as “the heart of the Water Commission’s management framework,” viewing it as a tool that would give direction and general guidance for making water use decisions, including the issuance of permits. Over the last 35 years, the component plans of the Hawaiʻi Water Plan have been drafted and updated. However, questions remain about the utility of these plans and if they provide sufficient guidance for the proper protection, conservation and management of Hawaiʻi’s freshwater resources. While water resource planning is a cornerstone of the Hawaiʻi Water Code, many of the original component plans written in 1990 did not satisfy the requirements laid out in statute. A 1996 state audit determined that the plans did not sufficiently meet legislative requirements. There have been continued efforts to comprehensively improve the Hawaiʻi Water Plan, but work to further strengthen the Plan remains ongoing.
In 2022, the Water Commission’s Planning Branch organized focus groups to re-envision the Hawaiʻi Water Plan and the current Framework. A short presentation about the current Framework update process and timeline for completion can be viewed below.