The Hawaii State Legislature and governor in 2015 passed into law: bills HB1325 & SB1310, that will allow the City & County of Honolulu to plan for and implement a storm water utility which will assess user fees, assessments or taxation against commercial and residential property owners based off the amount of storm water run-off discharging from their properties.  

The county at this time is currently researching how they will start the process of administering this new law. Implementation of the storm water utility will probably occur in 2021 or 2022.

It is recommended that property owners have a storm water run-off inspection and report done for their properties to determine suggested best management practices (BMP's) for managing and reducing water run-off from their lots. 

It is a known fact that storm water run-off in Hawaii is creating much of the near shore ocean issues we are now experiencing including sedimentation on our reefs which is contributing to the decline of the health of our reefs. Fish, coral, native algae (limu) populations are in decline and near-shore water quality is poor in many areas especially after heavy rains. Soil/sediment from erosion, rubbish, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and pollution (oil, etc.) from our driveways and streets enter the ocean directly through our street storm drain systems which discharges directly into concrete lined canals and ditches which are all unfiltered. 

The intent of this new law is to have property owners be proactive in improving their lots before these penalties will start by installing water run-off best management practices (BMP's) on their lots. BMP's may consist of things such as reduction of impervious surfaces and increasing of pervious surfaces, the installation of rain gardens and/or rain barrels (rain catchment), the redirecting of storm water drains on the lot to retain as much water as possible for irrigation, etc. and/or simply turning downspouts from the roof gutter system to discharge water into gardens, vegetated areas or other pervious surfaces instead of discharging onto impervious driveway type surfaces or other areas that will drain storm water into the streets.

Island Home Inspections can perform a storm water runoff inspection and report for you which will help you determine the most feasible water runoff BMP's you can install on your property in order to avoid the user fees or taxation which will be assessed to property owners by the county in the near future. 

The city has already started overhead surveying of properties on Oahu to determine the ratio of pervious to impervious surfaces. So its time to get proactive. All you need is another expense assessed against you by the government in addition to the fees and taxes you pay already, right??? 

Take action today and have a storm water runoff inspection done for starters. Than determine what course of action you will take to improve you property and have storm water best management practices installed ASAP.