Department of Planning and Permitting

Department of Planning and Permitting

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻolālā A Me Nā Palapala ʻAe

Storm Water Quality

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About Us

ALOHA! We are the NPDES Branch, under the Building Division. NPDES stands for “National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System”. The Branch was established in 2018 to review and inspect Erosion & Sediment Control Plans (ESCP) and permanent Post Construction Best Management Practices (PCBMP), including the Residential Storm Water Management Plan (RSWMP), specifically, for small building permitted projects, in compliance with the Rules Relating to Water Quality (RRWQ) and the City’s NPDES permit.

SWQ Announcements

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS: You can be the ESCP Coordinator for your project by taking the ESCP Coordinator certification training course at the ESCP Coordinator/CWPPP/CESCPP Training Webpage.  If you were previously certified, you can login to your existing account and renew your ESCP Coordinator certificate.  Please contact training website administrator (email), if you forgot your username or password; or need technical assistance.

10/10/23 – ESCP Review Fees can now be paid on-line.  A payment link will be sent to the Applicant when the fee is due, prior to beginning the plan review..  The payment link can be sent to the owner or tenant to remit the ESCP Review Fees.

11/14/22 – The RSWMP Letter of Compliance (LOC) is now available.  The RSWMP LOC is required to close the residential projects that require a PCBMP Inspection.  For projects that have permeable pavers/pavement installations, in lieu of lawn grass or permeable landscaping, the RSWMP LOC must be completed by a CWPPP; and for projects that have no permeable pavers/pavement, but require an inspection to confirm compliance with the 75% maximum ISA, the home owner, contractor, authorized agent, or applicant can complete and submit the RSWMP LOC.

11/14/22 – The new Permeable Hardscape Packet is now available. The Permeable Hardscape Packet will include a guide for the pre-engineering site assessment, based on the suitability of the existing subsurface soil, ground water table, adjacent structures, drainage, etc., the design, and the maintenance of permeable paver/pavement installation for SFD/2FD/Duplex Residential projects. Visit Part 2 of the SWQ Plan Review Requirements tab for more information on the inspection and permit closure requirement.

10/31/22 – Coming Soon:  “Nana”, a mandatory web based App, used by the ESCP Coordinator for uploading the electronic ESCP Inspection Checklist with photos.  Stay tuned for more information.

Learn About the City's NPDES Permit Program

The Department of Facility Maintenance, Storm Water Quality Division (DFM-SWQD) administers the City and County of Honolulu (CCH) NPDES (MS4) Permit program.  Visit DFM’s Storm Water Quality Division Home Page to learn more about the program.

Please do not contact DFM Storm Water Quality regarding the status of your building permit.

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